text:
Just how many times can Tesla fans be disappointed by the words of one guy?
Tesla has undoubtedly taken the motoring world by storm. In a very short period of time for an auto manufacturer, Tesla has propelled itself to the top of the list of electric car manufacturers and gained a ridiculous amount of demand from markets around the world.
Tesla famously does not have a public relations department, which is very unusual for a large company, and perhaps that is because Elon Musk wants to do all the PR himself. Well, some could argue that Tesla is doing just fine without one but there’s certainly an argument to be made for the company to begin considering hiring some PR experts.
Elon Musk is very well known and that’s not because he’s one to keep quiet. Often appearing at conventions, television shows and public events Elon makes an effort to be known and one of the worst places he does that is on Twitter. Whether he’s hyping up some random cryptocurrency (likely to manipulate the market to his gain) or throwing insults at heroic cave divers, there’s very seldom peace and quiet coming from his profile. Many of his promises that were either not delivered on or cancelled entirely have actually come from a tweet on Twitter.
For example in October 2018, Elon tweeted: “By next year, a Tesla should be able to drive around a parking lot, find an empty spot, read signs to confirm it’s valid & park.”
Just this month, Tesla removed the 2022 Cybertruck production date from its website, a pickup truck that according to Elon, and reports suggest production is now delayed to 2023. The truck was originally said to be making production in 2021. It has also been promised on stage that it will have bulletproof glass and air filtration good enough to survive a toxic post-apocalyptic environment.
Other wild promises that have been uttered over the years include propulsion jets that will let the Tesla Roadster hover for a short amount of time, that the Cybertruck will be a better sports car than a standard 911 and that you should be able to summon your Tesla from New York if you’re in LA.
Hilariously, Elon also once said that Tesla would never need to raise another funding round and then not long after, he started taking £100 deposits for a concept truck that may not ever make it to production. A £100 deposit for a vehicle is probably the most obvious public fundraiser a company has ever pulled!
There’s no doubt that Tesla has been an excellent disruption in the EV market and the general automotive industry as a whole, encouraging widespread adoption of electric vehicles, however, the way it’s been done has been accented with a long list of bizarre and unbelievable claims that we just keep eating up, for whatever reason. Can’t we help ourselves when it comes to living on a prayer? I really do hope the Tesla Roadster can do 0-60mph in 1.1 seconds but at this point, it would be naive to not be sceptical…
Let us know if you’re a believer in Tesla, or a skeptic, in the comments.
If you enjoyed this, you may also like: ‘Beautiful Low-Poly Classic Cars NFT Artwork Auctioning For Charity’
For more articles like this, receive our weekly e-newsletter, including partner deals and all things motoring, register your email below.


text:
Photo: Heidi M. Gress. // Models (L–R): Donat Mouélé, Ashtyn Beadles. // Wardrobe (L–R): Jumper – Davis Hong. Jacket/Skirt – McKell Maddox. // Hair and Makeup:Amber Pearson. // Location: The Clubhouse.
MAR. 3, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Salt Lake City, Utah – SLUG Magazine’s 28th Anniversary Local Fashion Issue hit the streets this morning! The 339th issue is packed with sleek, elegant and modern designs alongside eclectic, over-the-top, bold-color looks, proving what we all already knew: Utah’s style game is on point.
“Since 2013, SLUG has featured the monthly online-exclusive SLUG Style,” says SLUG Editorial Assistant Kathy Zhou. “The column highlights a distinct member of our community, giving voice not only to their personal style and expression, but also to their work, inspiration and aspirations. … I’m thrilled to see feature local designer Ayana Ifè for March’s Local Fashion print issue.”
Ayana Ifè // Photo: @clancycoop Tailor Cooperative // Photo: Scott Frederick
This month’s editorial coverage includes local favorites like Tailor Cooperative and Project Kuya. On top of that, we’re featuring Sweet Lake Biscuits & Limeade and the one of the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art’s newest exhibitions; Art on Violence: The Future Isn’t What it Used to Be.
In celebration of our 28th anniversary, SLUG has given our legendary parties with a fashion flair! Twenty-eight local designers will come together at The Depot on Saturday, March 25, for a one-of-a-kind fashion show. Each designer will showcase a look that coincides with a year from SLUG’s history for a one-night-only experience.
About SLUG Magazine: SLUG, an acronym for SaltLakeUnderGround, delivers an honest journalism alternative to mainstream coverage of music, art, lifestyle and events. SLUG distributes 30,000 issues monthly across the state of Utah and receives an average of 81,000 page views on SLUGMag.com, where SLUG publishes weekly, online-exclusive content. SLUG is a regional, free publication based in Salt Lake City and remains one of the oldest independent zines in the nation. SLUG adds value to lifestyle through our community engagement. SLUG Magazine is an affordable way for local and national businesses to advertise and market themselves to the 18 to 45 demographic.

domain: news


text:
Local MSU group readies for 'Oscars' of ad world
EAST LANSING – As early peeks of Super Bowl advertisements are already released online and on television, a Michigan State University instructor says there may still be some surprises come Sunday.
Robert Kolt, an MSU instructor of advertising and a local public relations company owner, said advertisers and the network are still negotiating million dollar deals for ad positioning during the game and halftime.
As the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks compete on the field in Super Bowl, Kolt said there is a lot at stake in between the action. The cost for 30 seconds of advertising time has reached a record $4.5 million.
"This is the Oscars for the advertising world," Kolt said. "A brand or company can make or break itself. It is really a high stakes gamble. You really have to stand out to be noticed."
Kolt hosts an ad watch party every year in which MSU professors and faculty get together to rank the advertisements. Now in its 18th year, the watch party will be at The Pizza House in the Hannah Plaza off Hagadorn Road.
He said he has seen some early ads and was already impressed with one by Nationwide starring Mindy Kaling where she is invisible.
He said the biggest tearjerker so far is an ad by Dove that deals with being a dad.
"That will make people weep," he said. "I was very impressed."
The group of judges are a mix of creative people and marketing types who judge each commercial on different qualities, like emotional impact and creativity in writing.
He said last year's ad from Fiat Chrysler that featured Bob Dylan was a disaster because of the writing.
"It had something to do with the ingenuity of America or something," he said. "We shouldn't have had to take so much time to figure out the message."
He said it was a surprise failure for the company that hit the jackpot in earlier years with longer narrative ads like those that featured Eminem talking about Detroit.
He said movie trailers seem to fall flat during Super Bowl broadcasts while others can make viewers uncomfortable, like the GM ad from 2007 that sparked outrage from suicide counseling groups.
"The ad a few years back that was filmed here for GM that involved a robot killing itself just wasn't good," he said. "Suicide isn't funny."
10 Super Bowl ads to watch out for
BUDWEISER "LOST DOG"
•Brewer Anheuser-Busch's 60-second ad shows a Labrador puppy chasing after the iconic Budweiser Clydesdales that are being moved to a new stable. The tune, "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)," performed by Sleeping performs in the background. The ad is the sequel to last year's "Best Buds," showing the bond between a puppy and Clydesdale, a spot many considered the best ad of the 2014 Super Bowl.
MCDONALD'S "PAY WITH LOVIN' "
•In its 60-second spot, the fast-food chain announces that it will let random customers pay for their food with acts of goodwill, such as calling their moms and telling them they love them. It's part of a Valentine's Day promotion that will start on the day after the Super Bowl.
SNICKERS "THE BRADY BUNCH"
•Snickers 30-second ad recreates the famous Brady Bunch episode in which the oldest daughter, Marcia, gets hit in the nose with a football. Florence Henderson and action movie "Machete" star Danny Trejo also make appearances for the Mars brand.
NFL'S "NO MORE"
•The NFL is airing a public service announcement from No More, a coalition of anti-domestic abuse organizations. The 60-second ad depicts a chilling 911 call from a battered woman to demonstrate the terror of domestic abuse.
ALWAYS' "LIKE A GIRL"
•Procter & Gamble's Always feminine protection brand's 60-second Super Bowl spot is a version of a viral video it aired in June. The ad shows adults and a boy running and throwing rather weakly when they're asked to depict what it means to do those actions "like a girl." But then they ask young girls, who run and throw with much more energy. Copy says "Let's make #likeagirl mean amazing things."
BMW "NEWFANGLED IDEA"
•In order to promote its new all-electric BMW i3 in a 60-second spot, BMW enlisted former "Today" show hosts Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel to recreate a 1994 on-air conversation when they tried to figure out what the @ symbol in an email address meant.
•To promote a service that lets users keep their unused data for a year, wireless provider T-Mobile hired Kim Kardashian for a 30-second spoof on public service announcements. In the ad, she makes a plea to save people's unused data taken back by wireless carriers. She laments that the data could have been used to see her makeup, vacations and outfits.
•The automotive advertiser always surprises with memorable ads about its cars, starring celebrities such as Eminem, Clint Eastwood and Oprah. The company says it will air three commercials during the Super Bowl this year but hasn't released those ads.
NATIONWIDE'S "INVISIBLE MINDY KALING"
•Insurer Nationwide's teaser for its Super Bowl ad shows "Mindy Project" star Mindy Kaling believing she is invisible and doing scandalous acts, including sitting naked in Central Park and going through a car wash. The teaser indicates the Super Bowl ad itself will show what happens when Kaling realizes she isn't actually invisible.
•Spoofing Budweiser's popular ads featuring a puppy getting lost, GoDaddy released its Super Bowl ad that showed a puppy finding his way home only for his owner to say that she sold him online with a web site she created with Godaddy.com. Pet owners were outraged. GoDaddy said it wouldn't air the spot, and instead air another one. The question is whether GoDaddy's new ad will be edgy or take a more cautious route.
— Associated Press


text:
Mars Petcare is sampling its new restaurant-style dog food meals with a national campaign at more than 125 dog parks and beaches through October.
The tour, called "Share the Love," promotes the Cesar Canine Cuisine Bistro brand and is meant to tap into consumers' needs to vacation while staying close to home and affording small indulgences for their pets, according to Brandweek .
"With the 'Share the Love' program, we are happy to provide support with gourmet meals and a restaurant-inspired dining experience for small dogs," said marketing director Anne Herrington in a statement.
New shelter data casts doubt on whether the pet population and pet ownership are truly growing.
While the pandemic caused unprecedented suffering worldwide in 2020, the disruptions to dogs, cats and other pets adoption numbers may normalize in 2021.


text:
Town adds 2 new electric vehicles to fleet
By Robert Fucci
Town Administrator Jim Smith charges one of the Chevy Bolt all-electric cars the town purchased on Nov. 7 through two grants. COURTESY PHOTO
Thanks to grants from the Department of Energy Resources and the Department of Environmental Protection, the Town of Sutton recently purchased two fully electric Chevy Bolts.
Worth more than $37,000 each, the purchases were fully covered by the grant.
“We got them on Nov. 7,” Energy Manager Doreen DeFazio said. “There’s also a charging station that was 100 percent paid for by DEP worth $4,000.
The charging station is hooked up to the Rufus Putnam building.
“Being a green community, we decided in this last round of grants from Green Communities to apply for two electric vehicles and a dual purpose charging station that is available to the public,” DeFazio said.
One of the cars is for the town administrator’s use, and the other is at the fire station (headquarters) but can be signed out by any staff member.
The Fire Department has training seminars in Stow. Instead of having firefighters use gas mileage that the town would reimburse, they can use the electric car, which costs less to charge than it would fill a gas car.
“(The Bolts travel) approximately 250 miles (when fully charged),” DeFazio said.
Part of the grant was to install a dual charging station that is available for public use.
“The state agencies are trying to encourage more usage of electric vehicles,” DeFazio said. “So by funding the town in these programs, they’re able to get more charging stations out there, which also seems to be the issue of why people won’t buy electric vehicles. They take a while to charge, and there’s not a lot of charging stations. So Sutton is stepping up to try and get more charging stations in town. It puts Sutton on the map as being a Green Community.”
The town has two HD-40 charging stations, which is considered a middlegrade charging station. To recharge one of the cars, it takes about four hours.
“There are some (charging stations) that take all day,” DeFazio said. “And there are some that you can do in 30 minutes.”
The town is also looking into installing more charging stations.
“We’re working with the developer at Galaxy on Route 146 to put in fast chargers for phase three of that location,” DeFazio said.
She said the town might look into adding two more all-electric cars to its fleet.
“Potentially we could get two more,” she said. “The Senior Center is interested in having one for Meals on Wheels and one to take seniors to appointments. I’m going to be looking at our entire fleet to see if there’s a potential need for more. We started conservatively with two, two that we absolutely needed.”
DeFazio said a fast-charging station on Route 146 would make most sense due to the high traffic between Sutton and Worcester.
“We do have residents in town who do use the charging stations,” she said. “There’s no fee. We’ll probably put in a third charging station if we apply for more vehicles in the next round of grants.”


text:
Nokia Lumia 610 becomes official
Nokia has been stealing the show at the MWC 2012 in Barcelona, Spain. After unveiling three new Asha phones, the Finnish mobile communications giant also officially unveiled the hotly rumored Nokia Lumia 610 reports of which have been in circulation on the Internet for quite some time.
The device has been a public secret lately as it was in the process of getting certification for a number of different countries but thanks to the official announcement it is now clear that such a phone exists.
The Nokia Lumia 610 is going to be the most affordable Windows Phone handset of the Finnish company but Nokia also claims that affordability does not mean low quality or skimpy features.
So let’s prove it! The Lumia 610 arrives with a 3.7-inch 800×480 pixel WVGA TFT touchscreen display, a 800 MHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S1 processor, 256 MB of RAM, 8 GB of internal storage, a 5-megapixel rear camera with a LED flash and a 1300 mAh battery. The Lumia will also be run by the Windows Phone 7 Tango operating system. In addition the Nokia Lumia users will be able to enjoy some of Nokia’s exclusive features such as Nokia Maps, Nokia Drive, Nokia Music and the new Nokia Transport. This new feature will provide commuters with door-to-door and step-by-step directions, along with bus/train/tram schedules for a majority of cities around the world. Users can also pin a schedule they have chosen to the tiles on their home screen to allow for easy access.
Nokia fans will be able to find the Lumia 610 in Q2 2012 and being a budget smartphone the Lumia 610 will cost around 189 EUR (~ 250 USD). There’s also a color choice – the Lumia 610 will debut in white, cyan, magenta and black.


text:
Last month, for the first time in a decade, electricity use in B.C. went up instead of down during the World Wildlife Fund’s Earth Hour.
Participation in the campaign, which encourages people around the world to turn off their lights to help raise awareness about climate change, has been declining for five years.
But with Earth Day now just around the corner, The Salvation Army in the Central Okanagan is reminding people about the importance of looking out for the planet.
“It’s the responsibilities of everyone to take care of the Earth,” says the Salvation Army’s Donna Thibideau. “It should be the mandate of every organization because taking care of the Earth is just another way of taking care of people.”
That is why Thibideau says the Salvation Army has been recycling for more than 100 years, which is primarily seen through its thrift store operations.
“We strive to look for ways to repurpose things to keep them out of the landfill,” Thibideau says.
That, combined with promotions that give customers discounts on their purchase if they bring their own bag, have helped the organization’s thrift stores repurpose a ton of waste.
According to Marion Boef, the Donation Welcome Centre manager, the organization kept 311.3 tonnes of textiles, shoes, and purses from the dump in 2017 alone—in addition to selling 489,929 products.
Boef adds that, at the warehouse, they “try everything we can to keep as much as possible out of the garbage.”
Boef says that, through careful sorting of donated goods, staff takes constant steps to ensure any and all unsalable items get diverted to recycling initiatives.
Right now they recycle all kinds of items, including clothing, shoes, accessories, books, cardboard, metals, plastic bags, plastic, electronics, and many others.
Planet Earth Recycling, in partnership with the Central Okanagan Salvation Army, says it collected 195 metric tonnes of recyclables in 2017. In 2011, it also received the City of Kelowna Mayor’s Environmental Achievement Award for the group most dedicated to protecting the environment.
But for Thibideau, the Salvation Army’s recycling is about more than just protecting the environment: it’s about protecting people, too.
“It’s not just about recycling, it’s about how the sale of those donated items allows us to provide support for those in need in our community,” says Thibideau.
Not only are we helping to keep those items out of the landfill, the proceeds from the sale of those items support our community. We also provide clothing and household items free of charge to those in need,” she adds.
Thibideau says the Salvation Army is able to offer food support, life skills training, emergency disaster services, and other community supports “all because people donated to, and shopped at a Salvation Army thrift store,” where 100 per cent of proceeds support local program.
By helping the planet, she says, her organization is able to help people throughout the community.
She welcomed anyone interested in contributing to their cause to donate at their donation welcome centre, located at 2330 Hunter Rd., or visit one of their thrift stores and buy something.
More information about the Salvation Army in the Central Okanagan is available online.
This article is written by or on behalf of the sponsoring client and does not necessarily reflect the views of Okanagan Edge.
All Think Local Stories


text:
Hero Motorcrop has today confirmed that the company isn’t discontinuing any of its existing models. As we reported earlier that the company will phase-out its 3 latest two-wheeler models, the Impulse 150, the Ignitor 125 and the Maestro 110. These rumors, which appeared on a leading business newspaper, The Economic Times, in this case was greeted with disbelief and shock by prospective buyers and existing owners of these products.
In fact, Hero Motorcrop is working on producing more and pushing harder the Impulse, Maestro and Ignitor which media reports said were facing the axe. The company is looking at expanding production for the scooter and the Ignitor, contrary to the reports. All of Hero’s products will be updated to ensure that they meet the new emissions norms that kick in 2015. Development work for this is expected to be handled internally.
On the otherhand, the company has been expanding the capability and infrastructure at their R&D division and had announced tie-ups with AVL in Austria and Erik Buell Racing of the USA. Both companies are to help Hero develop products as well as R&D skills. Hero also announced a partnership with Italian two-wheeler design firm Engines Engineering who were previously owned by Mahindra 2 Wheelers. Engines Engineering will help Hero with the design of its future products.
Source – Overdrive


text:
Blasch Makes Personnel Announcements
March 21, 2005
Blasch Precision Ceramics, Inc. recently announced the appointment of Mickey Lavicska as director of Marketing. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, he holds a master's of science degree in operations science from SUNY College of Technology in Utica/Rome, N.Y. Throughout his 16 years in industry, he has held positions such as territory manager, district sales manager, and both national and international sales manager, primarily in the plastics and electrical manufactured goods industry. Dave Bacchi, former Tooling Engineering manager, will become the company's engineering manager. Bacchi will be responsible for all engineering and maintenance functions within the company, excluding product development. Ted Collins, formerly Blasch's director of technology, has been named vice president New Business Development. Collins will be responsible for the development of new products and their markets for both domestic and international markets.
The company's website is located at http://www.blaschceramics.com.


text:
oultry is big business in Mississippi, and poultry producers are having to manage disease and high feed costs to produce the meat and eggs that Americans consume in great quantities.
Poultry is the most consumed meat in the U.S., according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, followed by beef and then pork. Eggs are also popular, with Americans eating close to 250 eggs per person each year.
This demand for chicken and eggs drove Mississippi’s poultry industry to a record $3.8 billion value, an almost 50% increase from the previous record of $2.6 billion set in 2021.
Josh Maples, agricultural economist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said the industry is important to the state because of the impact it has on the state economy.
“Poultry production is regularly the largest valued commodity produced in Mississippi in terms of value of poultry produced,” Maples said.
Strong market prices for broilers drove the value increase in 2022, along with exceptionally strong egg prices.
“2022 was a very strong year for poultry and egg production, driven mostly by much higher prices than were seen in 2021,” he said. “Prices are forecasted to be lower in 2023 than the high prices seen in 2022. Egg prices in particular have dropped from the record prices seen at the end of last year.”
Jonathan Moon, Extension poultry specialist, said another major challenge recently has been the arrival of highly pathogenic avian influenza, known as HPAI. The loss of about 53 million birds within the last year, including two commercial flocks in Mississippi, limited egg production in particular, driving up those prices.
“About 43 million of those birds were layers,” Moon said. “HPAI has claimed significantly more layers when compared to broilers, and this is attributed to the fact that layers are housed in much higher numbers and also have a longer lifespan and can technically have more opportunities to be exposed to the virus.”
Egg prices have moved down, but Moon said it takes time to build layer numbers back,
“Some people responded to the high egg prices by building their own backyard chicken flocks, but when doing so, one should keep in mind that there is commitment of time to bring these layers into production and also a finical investment in the form of feed, and this may not always be the cheapest option,” he said.
The majority of the state’s poultry industry is located in central Mississippi, including the Macon/Brooksville area and south to southeast, with just a few commercial houses scattered in the northern part of the state.
Mississippi is home to six different poultry integrators: Amick Farms, Koch Foods, Peco Foods, Wayne-Sanderson Farms, Mar-Jac Poultry and Tyson Foods. The state is also home to the nation’s largest egg producer, which is Cal-Maine Foods located near Jackson.


text:
A multi-modal logistics player, Transport Corporation of India has a presence in different segments of the industry, such as, moving goods by trucks, supply chain solutions, warehousing and coastal cargo transport via small ships.
The company, like other players in this sector, is expected to benefit from a revival in the domestic economy, especially, in its key customer segments, such as, automobiles and consumer durables. It is likely to gain from the recovery in external trade as well.
In addition, recent media reports point out that strong demand from the manufacturing and industrial sectors has pushed truck rentals close to a two-year high, in the first week of the new calendar year. Transport Corporation currently trades at a discount to its larger peers in the logistics sector.
LOGISTICS INFRASTRUCTURE : The company initially offered only low-margin movement of goods across the country via trucks, but over the past few years it has been attempting to move up the value chain in the logistics business. As part of that strategy, Transport Corporation also offers supply chain solutions, warehousing and door-to-door delivery of goods.
Its logistics network, includes 7.8 million sq. ft of warehousing space at the end of May 09, a rise of 20% over the past two years, and as per various estimates nearly 18-20% of this space is company owned and the remainder is leased. In addition, its fleet includes 7,000 trucks and trailers (both owned and managed), coupled with five cargo ships with a capacity of nearly 16,500 dead weight tonnes (DWT). Transport Corp's higher margin divisions like supply-chain solutions, XPS division (door-to-door delivery of goods) and seaways division (coastal cargo transport services) together contributed 46.3% of its total segment sales of Rs 670.85 crore, in the first half of the current financial year. Its lower-margin freight division contributed 50.7% of sales during this period.
The company had invested Rs 202 crore between year-ended March '07 and March '09, but its total debt increased by just 6.5% to Rs 232.9 crore during this period. That's because Transport Corporation was able to quickly deploy additional assets in its logistics network and ensured its debt burden didn't rise much. As a result, Transport Corporation's leverage ratio was just 0.9 at the end of FY09, as compared to 1.4 two years earlier.
FINANCIALS: The company's operating profit margin rose by 210 basis points y-o-y to 7.5% during the September '09 quarter, while its net sales rose just 5.7% to Rs 357.1 crore. The company benefited from a tight check on operational costs, like employee costs and fuel costs on a y-o-y basis during the second quarter of FY 10, which helped segment profit of the key freight division rise 158.8% to Rs 6.16 crore.
Various brokerage house reports also point out to a distinct improvement in volumes transported by logistic players during October and November '09, at a time when the Index of Industrial Production also surged 11.7% y-o-y in November '09.
VALUATIONS: Transport Corporation at Rs 100 per share, trades at 20.4 times its trailing four quarters' earnings. Other players in the logistics sector like Gateway Distriparks trades at 19.2 times its trailing earnings, while the country's largest logistic service provider, Container Corporation of India trades at 22.3 times. Investors could consider Transport Corporation in a bid to take advantage of the long-term growth opportunities in the logistics sector.


text:
Cuyahoga Falls Farmers Market organizers are preparing for the upcoming season and are looking for new vendors to take part.
Interested individuals should contact the Cuyahoga Falls Parks and Recreation Office at 330-971-8225 or email Chrystan Richardson at email@example.com for more information.
You can also find a vendor application on the city's website.
This summer's market will have a new location. While it took place last year at the parking lot at 3rd Street and Oakwood Drive, across from the Natatorium and City Hall, it'll switch this year to the Quirk Cultural Center, 1201 Grant Ave.
This will be the sixth year for the farmers market in Cuyahoga Falls. The 2013 season runs each Friday from June 14 through Oct. 4, opening at 2 p.m. and closing at 5:30 p.m. each day.
According to the city's website, "(Cuyahoga Falls is) committed to making an investment in the market and seeing it grow to its full potential. Our mission is to encourage, support and promote the efforts of local farmers, producers and artisans seeking to sell high quality, locally grown, fresh products directly to our local community members."


text:
Bentley has fired the first salvo in a new war of the ultimate luxury SUVs with the unveiling of its Bentayga.
The model will debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show on 15th September and arrive on UK roads in early 2016 at prices likely to be more than £130,000.
Visually the Bentayga is very different to the EXP 9F concept that was unveiled at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, and attracted wide criticism.
The new car is lower and more sporty than the concept, with a profile that will make it instantly recognisable as a product of the Crewe, UK-based manufacturer.
It is a large car, measuring 5141mm long, 1998mm wide and 1742mm high, with a wheelbase of 2992mm. It seats four or five occupants as standard though a seven-seat variant is in development.
Bentley is pitching the Bentayga as the ultimate luxury SUV, describing it as “the fastest, most powerful, most luxurious and most exclusive SUV in the world.” However the brand also expects the car to offer traditional SUV versatility, adding that is combines “unparalleled luxury with sporting ability, off-road performance and everyday usability”.
For the Bentayga an all-new W12 petrol engine has been developed in house at Crewe, the 6.0-litre unit offering 600bhp and 663lbft of torque. As result the Bentayga will be a rapid SUV, passing 62mph from rest in 4.1 seconds and going on to a maximum speed of 187mph.
The engine features twin turbochargers, a combination of direct and indirect fuel injection and the variable displacement system already seen in models from sister brand Audi. This allows half of the unit to shut down when not required with the engine running as a six-cylinder, helping improve efficiency by 11.9 per cent over the brand’s previous W12 engines.
Combined cycle fuel economy is quoted at 22.1mpg with emissions of 292g/km, while further efficiency will eventually be available – Bentley has also revealed plans for diesel and plug-in hybrid versions of the Bentayga.
The transmission combines an eight-speed automatic gearbox with a four-wheel-drive system which Bentley says has been specifically strengthened. While not many owners are expected to take the Bentayga significantly off road, it must be capable of doing so.
A host of new technology debuts in the Bentayga, the most notable being Bentley Active Ride, an electric roll control system that counteracts the body rolling that vehicles with high centres of gravity, such as SUVs, are prone to.
The Bentayga’s interior is being described by its creators as the finest in any automobile – just one day after former sister brand and now rival Rolls-Royce revealed a sumptuous interior in its Dawn drophead.
Seven different veneers were used on the 15 separate pieces of wood trim, which sits alongside leather and polished metal to the finest tolerances yet seen in a Bentley. Owners will also be able to personalise their car in virtually any way they wish through the Mulliner programme.
Bentley Motors chairman and chief executive Wolfgang Dürheimer dubs the Bentayga as “truly the Bentley of SUVs” saying that it redefines luxury in the SUV sector and offers a genuine Bentley experience in any environment, thanks to a combination of unparalleled attention to detail, go-anywhere ability and cutting-edge technology.
“With this extraordinary car we are looking forward to an exciting period of strong growth and sales success for Bentley– the Bentayga is the next step in our brand’s bold future,” Dürheimer adds.
And the Bentayga is expected to greatly boost the Crewe brand’s annual volume, selling more than 3000 examples a year to take Bentley’s annual output significantly past 10,000 cars.
The car will also soon gain rivals – Rolls-Royce and Lamborghini are luxury makers known to be working on SUV models, both seeking to replicate the success that Porsche has enjoyed in the premium sector. The German brand’s Cayenne SUV, launched to controversy in 2002, has since massively outsold all of Porsche’s familiar 911-based sports cars.


text:
Just a few weeks after telling Instagram fans that she is comfortable in her own skin, Cori Broadus is encouraging other girls to embrace the beauty within. The young star shares her message of empowerment with talk show host T.D. Jakes.
“I would just say love yourself no matter what,” Cori says. “Who cares what people have to say? You’re beautiful, no matter what,” she adds.
Cori recently told Instagram fans that she attained a level of self-esteem that has allowed her to be comfortable with herself. “I can finally say I’m comfortable in my own skin,” the 17-year-old wrote. “[I] grew up despising the skin tone I was in because it’s been bashed on for so long and society has been putting in our heads that dark is ugly. For all you beautiful chocolate girls/ women out there you’re BEAUTIFUL and don’t let anyone tell you different.”
Cori is the only daughter of Snoop Dogg and Shante Broadus. The celebrity couple also has two sons named Corde and Cordell.


text:
Allen Zhang stepped on stage to wrap up a long day of presentations at a Tencent Holdings conference. Four hours later, the WeChat founder had methodically torn apart his own brainchild before mapping out the next act for China’s premier super-app.
The Chinese Internet giant seems set on building out the long tail, maximising value beyond mainstream usage of its core products.
Two hip, young start-ups are set to become the latest challenge to Tencent just as China’s dominant social media company struggles with shrinking margins and slowing growth.
Naspers expects to report an increase in earnings for its most recent financial year, bolstered by Chinese Internet giant Tencent and various e-commerce businesses. Core headline earnings per share, which exclude


text:
AllLinuxDevices: LynxOS Plan Reveals Source Code, MSRP Pricing
Dec 11, 2002, 01:00 (0 Talkback[s])
(Other stories by Brian Proffitt)
Re-Imagining Linux Platforms to Meet the Needs of Cloud Service Providers
"It's not quite open source, but the makers of the embedded
operating system LynxOS have taken a step towards bringing code
availablity to their customers.
"That was the word out of California yesterday afternoon when
LynuxWorks announced a new set of pricing packages designed to make
LynxOS a more affordable option for those who are considering using
the real-time operating system (RTOS) for their embedded
"As of the announcement, the cost of the LynxOS license will be
directly tied to the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP)
of the product that is using LynxOS to function..."


text:
Ready for the next Epcot festival? The Walt Disney World Resort today announced the dates for the 2022 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival.
Epcot's original festival will run the same weeks as it did last year - starting July 14 and continuing through November 19. More than 25 Global Marketplace will sell food and drinks from nations and regions around the world, though not all of those booths will be open at the festival's start. Disney will release menus and the line-up for the festival's Eat to the Beat Concert Series later, as we get closer to the festival's start.
With Epcot's Flower & Garden running through July 4, the Food & Wine schedule gives Walt Disney World visitors just nine days in early July to take in the unique experience of a festival-free Epcot. The park's traditional fall and spring festivals nearly have converged in summer. And after the the Food & Wine Festival concludes in November, get ready for the expected return of Epcot's Festival of the Holidays later that month, completing the nearly year-round schedule of festivals at Epcot.
Epcot celebrates its 40th anniversary this October 1. Sometime before that, the park will welcome its next attraction, the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind indoor "storycoaster" that has taken over the former Universe of Energy pavilion. Epcot's first roller coaster officially is scheduled to open this "summer," but a Disney executive leaked that the ride would be open by Memorial Day, and - perhaps not coincidentally - Disney has scheduled an Epcot press event in early May. Meanwhile, Epcot is opening a new restaurant in the heart of the park.
So even in addition to the nearly-persistent festivals, there's plenty going on this year at Epcot.
* * *
We wanted you to read this article before we make our newsletter pitch, unlike so many other websites. If you appreciate that - and our approach to covering theme park, travel, and entertainment news - please sign up for our free, three-times-a-week email newsletter. Thank you.
As much as I love Food & Wine, it can also be one of the worst times crowd wise to hit World Showcase and that was before they added some major attractions. It's good to have this back, just sometimes barely able to move in some spots with folks going nuts for the offerings.
This article has been archived and is no longer accepting comments.
I'm hoping that as pandemic restrictions and limitations are slowly rolled back that Disney will bring back the special events and seminars/demonstrations that made the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival head and shoulders above the competition. Yes, most guests interact with the Festival through the booths and concert series, but it was the special meals, interactions with industry professionals, and exclusive festival events that really set the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival apart.
Some of our favorite memories from the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival are from these special events like the Party for the Senses, Brewer's Dinner with Jim Koch, and a seemingly endless list of wine seminars and cooking demonstrations we attended at the Odyssey, CommuniCore, and Wonders of Life (especially when they used to be free and first come-first served).


text:
Since its launch in early January 2021, the union has grown from 230 members to 700 members.
Lineate’s Elizabeth Gallagher joins host Daniel Litwin to explore how businesses large and small are leveraging custom search tools to get ahead.
New features and integrations with SMART Technologies make it easier to teach from within one learning platform and encourage deeper student engagement.
Marc Netka doesn’t mince his words. As CEO and Founder of STS Education, he is working through the current worldwide laptop shortage crisis but is not not happy about it.
Right around the 25th anniversary of Internet Explorer, Microsoft announces the final end to the company’s hallmark proprietary browser. To take its place, Microsoft offers a new version of Edge, the browser powered by Google...
Google and Facebook have been under increasing scrutiny for their power. Australia aims to confront that power head-on with a recent code drafted by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). The draft forces the...


text:
London, United Kingdom (PressExposure) August 07, 2009 -- Swords Pavilions is installing 6 units on Wednesday 4th August as an added service for shoppers. SaniPost, owned by Nettoyer Media, is a free public service that offers shoppers the opportunity to 'wash' their hands using a quick drying, alcohol free foam which is dispensed via a sensor-operated device. The foam, supplied by No Germs, kills 99.9% of germs, is safe for all to use (including children) and, with no need for water or drying facilities, is environmentally friendly.
Ian Hunter, Centre Director from Swords Pavilions Shopping Centre said, "We are delighted to link up with Nettoyer Media. By installing the SaniPost units we're adding to the overall shopping experience and, we wanted to take the lead on this, with customers increasingly asking about additional facilities."
The SaniPost units also offer a unique advertising opportunity to brands through its 3 panels, with No Germs making full use of this by securing all advertising space on the units for the first month. Nettoyer Media are currently in talks with a range of brands interested in taking the space after this time. The exposure for brands offered by the units is high at Swords Pavilions Shopping Centre, where there is an average footfall of 200,000 people per week. With little advertising space offered in shopping centres, SaniPost advertising is a great new way of connecting with consumers.
Warren Edmondson, MD of Nettoyer Media, said "Our aim was always to spread our portfolio across the UK and we have been busy installing units in a range of locations throughout England and Scotland. We're now delighted to add Swords Pavilions to our list as the first Irish location and will be looking to install the units in a range of locations across Ireland."


text:
Spaces with natural ventilation and daylight will be more popular in a post-COVID-19 era and smart design elements such as retractable roofs, skylights, and bi-folding doors will give events spaces more flexibility, particularly when combined with cutting-edge control and automation for moving structures at the push of a button.
Thanks to this partnership, bars, restaurants, hotels and other events venues with outdoor areas can make full use of their space, creating appealing socially-distanced, multi-use areas.
Wael Atassi, Commercial Director at OpenAire says, “We have created retractable roofs on all scales – from small private residences to hotels and restaurants, to huge shopping malls and waterparks. The aim is always the same: to create an indoor space that can quickly transform into an attractive open-air venue.”
Danny Pickard, Projects Director at SCX Special Projects adds, “People usually turn to SCX Special Projects to solve significant mechanical handling projects. However, our expertise translates to all kinds of moving structures, of all sizes, and especially those that need to move in public spaces where safety is a primary concern.”
The two companies have already worked together on a retractable roof project in 2018, in the Middle East, and together have over 60 years of experience, which will be put to use in giving outdoor spaces a new lease of life as the leisure and entertainment sector begins to recover.
Last year, OpenAire transformed The Plunge at FIT in San Diego with the completion of a new retractable roof.


text:
Kenya Power has invited bids for the supply of 199,157 single phase post-paid meters, altering their earlier intention to fully transition to pre-paid meters. According to the firm, the move to pre-paid meters was a move aimed at ending payment defaults.
However, the firm is now inviting manufacturers and suppliers of the meters to bid for the tender that close on 17th January 2020.
As reported by Business Daily, the firm earlier blamed its piling debts on non-payment of electricity bills by post-paid customers, shortage of meter readers, and disputed bills by households and industries.
Kenya Power is a limited liability company which transmits, distributes and retails electricity to customers throughout the country.


text:
It is the dream of many Subbuteo collectors and fans – a hidden stash in a loft or cellar with piles of teams, accessories and other Subbuteo bits and pieces.
A Subbuteo fan has rediscovered just that after taking a trip to his loft and finding a massive haul of Subbuteo in what looks to be very good condition.
The latest big Subbuteo loft find is here and Jason has unearthed around 20 lightweight teams from the 1980s era of Subbuteo and a handful of older heavyweight sides. There are also Continental Subbuteo box sets, a Subbuteo rugby set and a pile of other Subbuteo bits and pieces.
There is even a collection of loose players that many collectors would probably love to have a sift through to complete some teams.
Jason says it’s been several years since he’s seen his Subbuteo collection when he posted it a Subbuteo Facebook group and the comments were pretty entertaining.
One fan jokingly said: “Not worth a lot mate will give you a tenner.”
While another suggested Jason’s marriage may not make it to another five months now that the Subbuteo is back out from the loft.
We’ve seen collections like this go for hundreds of pounds on eBay and other selling sites but hopefully Jason is keen to add to the collection rather than sell. The excellent condition and huge range of items mean this is one of the better Subbuteo loft finds.
And it’s not only Subbuteo he discovered. He explains: “I decided to clear out the attic and have discovered boxes and boxes of toys… The ones to the right are Dad’s Army, Kojak, Airfix Fighter Command, the New Avengers, Escape from Colditz and Captain Pugwash jigsaw!”


text:
By CHRIS ALDRIDGE, Kentucky Proud Connection
LEXINGTON, Ky. — More than 100 exhibitors have signed up for the fifth annual Kentucky Proud Incredible Food Show Saturday, Oct. 26 at the Lexington Center.
"I encourage Kentuckians to come out and support these exhibitors, many of which will be Kentucky Proud vendors," Agriculture Commissioner James Comer said. "The Incredible Food Show is a must-see for anyone interested in food, whether it be cooking or eating."
From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT, exhibitors will offer samples of their products, which include local foods and wines, as well as dishes made by local restaurants and caterers. Homemade kitchen accessories will be for sale, cooking demonstrations will be given every hour, and culinary seminars and workshops will be offered.
"The show provides the public a chance to watch cooking demos by local and celebrity chefs, sample and buy local products, and support our local economy, all in one day," said Alisha Morris, who oversees domestic trade shows for the Kentucky Department of Agriculture's Office of Agricultural Marketing and Product Promotion.
Kentucky Department of Agriculture employees will hand out samples of the new Udderly Kentucky milk at the KDA booth. The Kentucky Proud brand is produced by 105 Kentucky dairy farm families and processed in Somerset.
Food Network celebrity chefs Bobby and Jamie Deen will give live cooking presentations at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. in Rupp Arena. Their TV show, "Road Tasted," followed the Deen brothers as they traveled the nation in search of unique food. They have also published four books and market a line of spices, barbecue sauces, and T-shirts.
Saturday' festivities will kick off with a Kentucky Proud Breakfast for the first 300 paid attendees. Sullivan University chefs will use fresh, locally-grown ingredients provided by Kentucky Proud members.
Other show features include:
- The Quick Tips Booth, a show favorite. Topics include "Coffee Lab: How to Prepare the Perfect Cup of Coffee," presented by Sunergos Coffee in Louisville; "Mix and Re-Mix: How to Make More Than One Meal Out of a Recipe," presented by host Brigitte Nguyen of the "Kentucky Proud Kitchen" TV show; "Milk and Cookies," presented by Bluegrass Bakery in Lexington; and "Chef Tips with Food, News & Chews," presented by chef Jeremy Ashby of Lexington's Azur restaurant and Sylvia Lovely, a local food advocate.
- The Traditional Foodcraft area, featuring "Cooking Sorghum" with Country Rock Sorghum of Midway and "Grinding Corn for Cornmeal" with Connorsville Mill of Cynthiana.
- Cooking demonstrations, including "Tim Farmer's Country Kitchen," featuring the host of the "Kentucky Afield" TV show; the "Pro-Am Challenge" featuring professional chefs teamed with amateur cooks; and "Dinner in 15 Minutes" on how to prepare quick meals on the go.
- Culinary seminars, including "A Conversation with Chef Edward Lee," featuring the "Top Chef" finalist and owner of Louisville's 610 Magnolia restaurant; "Cast Iron Cooking and Care;" and "The Art of Charcuterie," which is a branch of cooking devoted to prepared meat products.
Tickets are on sale at the Lexington Center ticket office, www.Ticketmaster.com, and all Ticketmaster outlets. Tickets are $20 for general admission and $40 for a reserved seat at one of the Deen brothers' presentations. Children ages 12 and under will be admitted free.
For a complete schedule of events, visit www.incrediblefoodshow.com.


text:
The Trans-Atlantic Business Council (TABC) is currently the largest cross-sectoral organization representing companies from both the United States (U.S.) and the European Union (EU) in support of a strong transatlantic agenda in trade and investment. It was founded in 2013 by the merger of the Trans-Atlantic Business Dialogue and the European American Business Council.
The TABC encourages the promotion and enhancement of transatlantic economic integration and political ties between the EU and U.S. towards the reduction of trade barriers and the creation of a fair level playing field for businesses.
The TABC is following and assessing the developments of the recent WTO ruling regarding U.S. measures affecting trade in large civil aircraft (the so-called Boeing Dispute) and, in particular, the EU public consultation on the preliminary list of U.S. products that would be hit with increased customs duties.
While we understand and respect the European Commission’s approach, we would like to express our deep concern that imposing increased duties on products originating in the U.S. would have negative repercussions and overshadow recent efforts to improve transatlantic trade relations. This is also true of the U.S. preparations to impose additional duties on a list of EU originating goods as a result of the WTO ruling regarding EU and certain member states’ measures affecting trade in large civil aircraft (the so-called Airbus Dispute). We are concerned the mutual imposition of retaliatory duties would inevitably result in the escalation of transatlantic trade tensions, which is particularly inconvenient, as trade negotiations have been launched.
Additionally, increased duties would make goods more expensive, especially for lower income consumers, limit consumers’ choice and have a negative impact throughout the whole chain of products, thereby penalising consumers, workers and businesses on both sides of the Atlantic. We thus call on the EU and U.S. to work to ensure the adverse effects of the large civil aircraft disputes do not extend to a large number of unrelated productive sectors that are covered by the respective preliminary lists. The TABC would also encourage both parties to settle the above-mentioned WTO disputes by maintaining a constructive dialogue without resorting to tit-for-tat tariffs.
The EU and the U.S. are key strategic partners, whose commercial relationship underpins the entire global economy and whose shared views should also contribute to reinforce the global trade governance to meet a level playing field for all players. The key, long-term objective of both sides should be resolving trade irritants and promoting free trade with fair rules and global governance. In this context, the TABC reiterates its willingness to play a constructive role to promote dialogue with both parties and provide its support towards a fair outcome of the disputes.
In line with the July 2018 Joint Statement, the EU and the U.S. should pursue a new phase of strong trade relations by reducing barriers and increasing free trade. The imposition of additional duties would go in the opposite direction from the intention expressed by President Trump and President Juncker last July.


text:
AT&T Inc., which employs more than 3,000 in Austin, reported it made $3.8 billion — or 72 cents per share — on $32.2 billion of revenue in the third quarter.
Earnings are up $2 million from last year’s third quarter earnings of $3.6 billion or 63 cents per share.
In Austin, the topic of conversation for many AT&T executives has been how to push back against Google Inc.'s Google Fiber high-speed Internet network, which is scheduled to debut in about 10 months. AT&T's answer: GigaPower, a 1-gigabit service similar to Google Fiber.
AT&T (NYSE: T) added 2 million new wireless and wire line, high-speed broadband connections. It also experienced a 5.1 percent jump in wireless revenue and a 3.7 percent jump in service revenue from the same quarter last year.
New smartphone subscriptions were up by 1.2 million, and smartphones represented a record of 89 percent of post-paid phone sales.
The company also reported a record U-verse increase, gaining 97,000 customers that helped the service earn its first billion-dollar revenue quarter.
Click here to read about AT&T's testing lab in Northwest Austin, which is quietly putting new hardware through rigorous exams.


text:
Kerbal Space Program, the cult classic space simulation game, is coming to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S later this year. In honor of the game’s tenth anniversary, publisher Private Division is offering a free upgrade to next-gen for those who already own the game on PS4 and Xbox One. The game is set to launch on the next-gen consoles later this year.
The PS5 and Xbox Series X versions of the game will get a boost, as Private Division says the game’s action will be “running at Quad high definition 1440p and an improved framerate over previous console versions.” The Xbox Series S version of the game will run at 1080p and will also have a boosted framerate. The publisher adds, “The additional system memory on these consoles results in a more stable game experience and allows for an increase of part count on player’s crafts and contraptions. This release benefits from upgraded shaders and textures allowing for more stunning overall visual impressions for players”
As stated, the game also turns 10 today. To celebrate the game’s anniversary, the developers also released a short documentary celebrating the various high points and fan interest in the game over the years. The video also features interviews with various real-world aerospace authorities and engineers, who talk about the influence that Kerbal has had on their lives. It’s a good watch if you have twenty-or-so minutes to spare.
The sequel to the game is still in development as of the last report. Take-Two announced the delay into late 2021 last year, but given that we’re getting the first game on next-gen consoles in late 2021, I think it’s more likely we’re getting the sequel sometime in 2022. Ordinarily I’d question why a company would bother bringing a game forward to a new generation of consoles when they’re already working on a sequel, but this is probably as good a time as any to boost interest in the IP.


text:
The Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus compacts are being squeezed as premium competitors such as the Mercedes-Benz A class and SUVs from all brands steal market share from the volume players in Europe's third-largest segment.
Sales of volume compacts grew 3.1 percent to 1.9 million units through October last year compared with a 9.2 percent gain to 632,000 units for premium compacts. The rise gave models from brands such as Audi, BMW and Mercedes a 24.6 percent share of the overall segment's volume, up from 23.5 during the first 10 months of 2015, according to sales data from JATO Dynamics. Meanwhile compact SUV sales increased 20 percent to 1 million in the first 10 months of 2016.
The squeeze from premium brands and from cheaper compacts hit both the segment's top-selling Golf, which lost almost 40,000 sales compared to the year before, and the Focus, which slipped from second in the segment sales chart to fourth behind the Opel/Vauxhall Astra and the Skoda Octavia.
The Focus was face-lifted in 2015 but that wasn't enough to stay ahead of its newer, less-expensive rivals. “The Focus is not cheap enough to be considered an affordable compact, and is not modern enough to be a real alternative to the new Astra or new Megane,” JATO Dynamics global analyst Felipe Munoz told Automotive News Europe.
The new Astra was the biggest winner among models in the segment’s top 10, moving into second place with an increase of 29 percent to more than 200,000 units through October. Sales of the new Renault Megane, which launched in January, rose by 7 percent to rank ninth among all compacts sold in Europe.


text:
TOKYO, NIKKEI ASIAN REVIEW — Log exports from Canada to Japan have dropped in recent months despite a side deal to the Trans-Pacific Partnership designed to ensure stable supply, raising concerns of a possible first violation of the regional trade pact.
Shipments fell 77% on the year in the January-May period to 97,380 sq. meters, according to the Japan Lumber Importers’ Association. No logs were shipped at all in April, and May’s figure was just 5% of the level a year earlier.
Japan relies on other countries for over 60% of its wood products. Last year, 28% of its log imports came from Canada — second only to 50% from the U.S. Imported logs are often used in plywood along with Japanese lumber, meaning increased shipments could help invigorate Japan’s domestic wood industry as well.
“If imports from Canada stop, we could see a disruption in the use of Japanese lumber,” said Atsuhiro Inoue, president of Japanese plywood maker Seihoku.
Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries is reviewing the situation. It could file a formal complaint with the Canadian government if it finds that Ottawa is refusing to issue export permits without a valid reason, which would be the first documented violation of the TPP.
As part of the 11-member version of TPP that took effect in December 2018, Japan agreed to lower tariffs on Canadian plywood. But because a surge in plywood shipments alone could stifle Japan’s wood industry, Canada also agreed in a side letter to the TPP that it would grant export permits for logs on request. Usually, Canada only grants permits when there is a domestic surplus.
The recent plunge has been attributed to a decrease in Canadian production, caused by protracted strikes and other factors. Still, if the Canadian government does not permit requested log exports to Japan, that would be a breach of the TPP.
Refusals could impact Canadian businesses as well since exported logs tend to sell for more and help their bottom line. Mosaic Foreign Management curtailed harvesting operations in November 2019 and is currently operating at reduced capacity.
For now, Japanese trading houses and lumber companies are buying more American logs to fill the gap. But Canadian logs are considered better quality than those from the U.S., and industry insiders say finding a good alternative will not be easy.
In addition to the TPP, Japan has signed comprehensive trade deals with the European Union and the U.S. in recent years. “We could see more cases where countries do not stick to the terms of these agreements,” said a Japanese government source who had been involved in TPP negotiations.
See more HERE.


text:
Serenity Forge and White Rabbit have shared an overview trailer for Death’s Gambit: Afterlife, which is coming to Nintendo Switch.
The 2D Metroidvania-inspired action-platformer comes to the portable home console with “exclusive brand-new content that doubles the size of the game.” That content is introduced by game director Jean Canellas in this new trailer.
That has seen the developer add 10 new levels, 22 new weapons, 100 talents, skills, storylines, cinematics, gameplay enhancements and much more, in an effort “to make it the definitive edition of the game to date.”
Playing as Death’s right hand, as his faithful servant you must set out to destroy the source of immortality that lies at the heart of Siradon. That will challenge you to confront the undying guardians of the realm and endure an eternal struggle to purge their souls from the mysterious and unforgiving world.
Death’s Gambit: Afterlife will release on the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch in 2021.


text:
Home Depot’s recent data breach became the largest retail breach in history. From April to September 2014, 56 million credit and debit cards in the U.S. and Canada were compromised by hackers using malware. On September 2, Home Depot announced that the malware had been removed and hackers had been blocked from accessing the store’s data. The retail giant then released new encryption technology to all U.S. stores on September 15, and said the technology would reach all Canadian stores in early 2015.
The store’s corporate team recently issued a statement which emphasized “customers would not be liable for any fraudulent charges,” and that they are “offering free identity protection services, including credit monitoring, to any customer who has shopped at a Home Depot store in 2014, from April on.” The store then released an image containing “keys to customer protection.” See Home Depot’s full statement here.
Home Depot has faced criticism from numerous angles since the reports of this incident broke. It is said by multiple financial institutions that data was being stolen from stores up until September 7, a full five days after the store announced the malware had been removed and hackers were blocked from their system. Former employees also claimed the retailer was “slow to raise its defenses” when it came to protecting customer data. Another said that they urged friends to use cash, rather than credit cards, when shopping at Home Depot locations.
Though Home Depot was quick to react and make a statement following its largest retail breach in history, they provided inaccurate information. Though this may have been unintentional, it is always crucial to tell your story when all the facts are accounted for. Making a premature statement will leave question marks as further information is gathered and revealed. From a leadership standpoint, Home Depot needs to relay their previous cyber security efforts to the public, assuring them that they had not been openly at risk and that this was an anomaly and ultimately an isolated incident. If those efforts are nonexistent, then the store was ill-prepared and deserves the criticism and reputational damage it is facing. If you don’t tell your story, someone else will. And when someone else tells your story, it certainly won’t be the story you want told.
For more information regarding data breaches, do not hesitate to call the Fallston Group at 410.420.2001 or by email at email@example.com.


text:
Apple’s OS has become a lot less appealing for animators and developers who rely on NVIDIA’s GPUs for work. According to the toolkit’s latest release notes, NVIDIA is dropping macOS support from its parallel computing platform and application programming interface model, CUDA. Users who own an NVIDIA GPU and wish to use it for general-purpose processing may have to switch to Windows.
Currently, NVIDIA is the only company making GPU hardware capable of hardware-accelerated ray tracing, a welcome tool used by animators and developers. Presumably, those people were already leaning on Windows—given Apple’s lack of official CUDA support. Yet this now makes it very clear to them that they’re not really welcome on Apple’s operating system.


text:
Google and its Motorola Mobility subsidiary spent the past several weeks not-so-subtly priming the publicity pump for the Moto X, the new smartphone that’s supposed to distill all the search engine giant’s latest mobile-technology advances into one sleek package. Google chairman Eric Schmidt was seen posing with one; other executives hinted that something truly epic was in the pipeline.
Now the Moto X is here, and it’s a huge bet that people will flock to a smartphone that’s as hands-off as possible: voice commands will do everything from turn it on (“Okay Google Now”) to activate applications. A multiplicity of sensors allows the user to perform functions with a minimum of tapping and swiping; for example, merely twisting your wrist will activate the camera. With this focus on anticipating the user’s needs—and making everyday activities as seamless as possible—Google and Motorola are trying to put the “smart” in “smartphone.”
But is the Moto X an iPhone killer? That’s perhaps the wrong question. For one thing, Apple would never permit its customers to customize the iPhone in the same way that Motorola’s allowing for the Moto X—you can select all sorts of colors and custom details, making your device (relatively) unique. Second, the iPhone is already well-established in the marketplace, with a massive audience of diehard users; with the Moto X, Google and Motorola seem more interested in showing that they can build an enviable “hero” phone that can compete with anything else out there—the “iPhone killer” may come later, once the brand actually gets some traction.
More than anything, the Moto X exists to prove that Google Now—the voice-dependent application that drives much of the smartphone’s next-generation functionality— is the right direction for Google. If the phone proves a hit, Google is likely to double down on voice as the way of the smartphone future.
What’s also interesting about the Moto X is its reliance on “stock” Android as an operating system. Rather than introduce Android features totally unique to the phone, Google and Motorola have instead chosen to focus on how software and hardware bond together to deliver a seamless experience.
This is perhaps a wise choice, for several reasons. First, a massively improved Android exclusively for the Moto X may have alienated other Android manufacturers, which probably don’t appreciate Google making aggressive plays in the hardware space. Second, today’s killer apps are tomorrow’s has-beens; it’s better in the long run for Google to develop an overall quality experience, rather than pour its resources and marketing attention into cool features and apps that’ll be outdated (and copied by others) within six months.
In any case, time (and sales) will tell whether Google and Motorola have made the right decisions with the Moto X.


text:
Meat procurement concentrated in one company
Atria and the co-operatives Itikka, Lihakunta and Pohjanmaan Liha establish a joint company for meat procurement, A-Farmers Ltd. It becomes Finland’s leading meat supplier.
A-Farmers purchases a third of the country’s meat production
In the early 2000s, annual meat production in Finland totals about 340 million kilograms. More than a third of this is purchased by A-Farmers Ltd, a new company founded by Atria, Itikka, Lihakunta and Pohjanmaan Liha in 2001. The company becomes the country’s leading meat supplier.
Before the new company was set up, the co-operatives were responsible for Atria’s meat procurement, producer guidance, services (e.g. animal trading and transport) and health care. A-Farmers improves the opportunities of the entire Atria meat chain in the increasingly global competitive environment.


text:
Mac > AppleInsider
Thursday August 31, 2017. 11:19 PM
Apple on Thursday announced a change to its iTunes Affiliate program, allowing members to receive commissions in the form of iTunes Store Credit instead of direct electronic bank transfers.
Netatmo on Thursday said that two of its flagship smarthome products, the Welcome and Presence security cameras, will gain support for Apple's HomeKit later in 2017 via firmware updates.
The second-biggest U.S. ridesharing service, Lyft, has dramatically expanded the number of states in which it offers full coverage, putting it on better footing with its main competition, Uber.
Two new wireless Bluetooth earbuds arriving from Bang & Olufsen and Sony, with the pair trying to match Apple in functionality and popularity, if not in price.
The new APFS brings notable enhancements to High Sierra and iOS, but on the Mac it appears that legacy hard drives are completely incompatible with the technology and at least at launch that Fusion drives may not be either.
Apple has written to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission in support for the concept of net neutrality, with its four-page commentary arguing for the government agency to "retain strong, enforceable open internet protections" instead of rolling back the rules forbidding...
DJI on Thursday made several updates to its drone line, the biggest being the Mavic Pro Platinum, a new model that refines its predecessor's performance.
Just three days after the last release, Apple has made the ninth beta of iOS 11, and tvOS available for developers to test -- suggesting a release is imminent in conjunction with new products that need the operating systems to function.
Shoppers can exclusively save $220 on Apple's latest 15" MacBook Pro with 512GB of storage at Adorama with coupon. Or snap up a top of the line 3.3GHz 13" MacBook Pro with Touch Bar (Late 2016) with 16GB of RAM and 1TB of space for $2,399 ($600 off) with no tax outside NY...
The VCSEL technology said to be supplied by Lumentum for the "iPhone 8" has reportedly been offered to Apple as part of an exclusive supply deal, which will cut down on competitive technologies in the short term, with effects of the deal echoing well into 2018.
Apple on Thursday confirmed rumors by sending out a media invite to a Sept. 12 press event, where the company will likely introduce the OLED-based "iPhone 8" and a slew of other products.
Garmin has announced a new iPhone-compatible GPS smartwatch, the vivoactive 3 -- most notably the first device with Garmin Pay, adding to the growing number of NFC-based alternatives to Apple Pay.
Players of 'Pokemon Go' have three new legendary Pokemon to battle and collect, Sega has brought back 'Golden Axe' to the iPhone under the Sega Forever banner, and GameMaker Studio 2 is now available on macOS.
AppleInsider this week went hands-on with Propel's new limited edition Star Wars elite laser battle drones. These are small, palm-sized quadcopters that blur the line between gaming in the real world and a virtual one, thanks to unique connectivity with Apple's iPhone.
Philips on Thursday announced an upcoming collection of Hue lights compatible with Apple's HomeKit, as well as three bigger Starter Kit bundles.
Apple is beginning "earlier than usual" development with Samsung Display on 5.85- and 6.46-inch OLED panels for next year's iPhones, a report claimed on Thursday.
Apple is actively investigating methods of embedding electronic components into woven fabric materials, technology that might be applied to Apple Watch strap designs to offload user interfaces into physical space and expand device functionality.
Logitech on Thursday took the wraps off the Craft Advanced Keyboard, its signature feature being the "crown," a touch-sensitive dial that can be set to control multiple functions within Mac and Windows apps.
Nest on Thursday unveiled Thermostat E, a redesigned and less expensive version of the firm's original Learning Thermostat that launched in 2011.
Apple is anticipated to hold its annual iPhone event on Sept. 12, where a slate of new products like a flagship "iPhone 8," LTE Apple Watch and more are expected to debut. Check out all the latest launch rumors in this video.
Sep, Thu 21 - 19:41 CEST


text:
Why Fb Stock Will be Headed Higher
Negative publicity on the handling of its of user created articles and privacy concerns is actually maintaining a lid on the stock for now. Still, a rebound in economic activity could blow that lid properly off.
Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) is facing criticism for the handling of its of user-created content on the site of its. The criticism hit the apex of its in 2020 when the social networking giant found itself smack in the midst of a warmed up election season. Large corporations as well as politicians alike are not interested in Facebook’s rising role of people’s lives.
In the eyes of the general public, the opposite appears to be correct as nearly fifty percent of the world’s population now uses at least one of its applications. Throughout a pandemic when friends, colleagues, and families are community distancing, billions are timber on to Facebook to remain connected. Whether or not there’s validity to the statements against Facebook, its stock might be heading higher.
Why Fb Stock Happens to be Headed Higher
Facebook is the largest social media business on the world. According to FintechZoom a overall of 3.3 billion men and women use at least one of its family of apps which comes with WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, and Facebook. That figure is up by more than 300 million from the season prior. Advertisers are able to target almost one half of the population of the world by partnering with Facebook alone. Additionally, marketers can pick and select the level they want to reach — globally or inside a zip code. The precision presented to businesses increases the advertising effectiveness of theirs and also reduces the customer acquisition costs of theirs.
People which utilize Facebook voluntarily share own information about themselves, like the age of theirs, relationship status, interests, and where they went to university. This allows another covering of focus for advertisers that lowers wasteful spending much more. Comparatively, folks share more information on Facebook than on other social networking websites. Those elements add to Facebook’s capacity to produce the highest average revenue per user (ARPU) some of the peers of its.
In the most recent quarter, family members ARPU enhanced by 16.8 % year over year to $8.62. In the near to moderate expression, that figure might get a boost as more organizations are allowed to reopen worldwide. Facebook’s targeting features are going to be useful to local area restaurants cautiously being permitted to offer in person dining once again after months of government restrictions that wouldn’t let it. And despite headwinds in the California Consumer Protection Act as well as update versions to Apple’s iOS that will cut back on the efficacy of the ad targeting of its, Facebook’s leadership status is actually not going to change.
Digital advertising will surpass television Television advertising holds the best place of the industry but is anticipated to move to second soon enough. Digital advertising shelling out in the U.S. is actually forecast to grow through $132 billion within 2019 to $243 billion inside 2024. Facebook’s job atop the digital advertising marketplace combined with the change in advertisement paying toward digital offer the potential to go on increasing earnings more than double digits a year for a few additional years.
The price is right Facebook is trading at a discount to Pinterest, Snap, and Twitter when measured by its advanced price-to-earnings ratio and price-to-sales ratio. The following cheapest competitor in P/E is actually Twitter, and it is selling for over 3 times the price of Facebook.
Granted, Facebook could be growing less quickly (in percentage terms) in terms of owners and revenue as compared to its peers. Still, in 2020 Facebook included 300 million month energetic users (MAUs), that’s a lot more than two times the 124 million MAUs added by Pinterest. To never mention that inside 2020 Facebook’s operating earnings margin was 38 % (coming in a distant second place was Twitter during 0.73 %).
The marketplace has investors the ability to purchase Facebook at a bargain, however, it may not last long. The stock price of this social media giant could be heading greater shortly.
Why Fb Stock Will be Headed Higher


text:
SCOTTSBORO, Ala. - Unclaimed Baggage is bringing home the gold! The company won the Gold Retailer of Sales of the Year from the Alabama Retail Association. Many stores were nominated, but Unclaimed Baggage took the prize.
"Different people nominated us for this award. We had our Senator Steve Livingston, our Chamber of Commerce president Rick Roden, our former EDA Director Dus Rogers and so it was just an honor that they would think enough about us to nominate us," says Brenda Cantrell, their brand ambassador.
Unclaimed Baggage strives to make sure that every customer has an experience whenever they come in and shop in the store.
"A lot of that comes down to our people, our culture, how we interact with our guest the experiences we have in this store," says Brenda. "We're not just a retail store. We're a shopping destination."
And that experience is what set them apart from the rest.
"It's just a nice reminder that we're not just another store. We're an award-winning store and it's definitely worth a trip to come see us."


text:
SEATTLE, February 19, 2020 – Legislation introduced today in both the Washington State Senate and House proposes the elimination of a reduction in the state Business and Occupation (B&O) tax rate for the aerospace industry. The legislation is intended to resolve issues with the World Trade Organization (WTO) over claims of U.S. government subsidization of aerospace companies. The following is a statement from WCIT President Lori Otto Punke regarding this legislation.
“The Washington Council on International Trade (WCIT) supports efforts in Olympia to address and resolve issues between the aerospace industry and the World Trade Organization (WTO). Passage of legislation introduced will prevent the imposition of tariffs that pose significant harm to Washington state farmers, workers, and businesses that could threaten the health and success of our economy.
Without this legislation, the European Union would be authorized by the WTO to impose tariffs on U.S. imports into the EU. The European Union has issued a preliminary tariff list going beyond the aerospace industry that targets products and industries essential to the trade-related Washington state economy, including foods and beverages like wine and coffee, agricultural products like apples and cherries, fish and shellfish including Pacific salmon and consumer goods like video games. These tariffs would be a significant hit locally. In 2018 alone, Washington state exported $12.2 billion worth of products and services to the EU, the second-highest only to China. The EU is the largest importer of Washington state services, totaling $8.1 billion in 2017, including $1.8 billion in services to the United Kingdom.
A new front in the trade war would be tough to absorb.
We know the collateral damage these tariffs can inflict on our economy and support Boeing’s leadership in addressing this dispute head-on. We call on Washington state legislators whose communities would be impacted by these harmful tariffs and whose constituents rely on a healthy and thriving aerospace industry to support these legislative efforts.“


text:
One purveyor of fine coffee is drawing a line in the sand: Come Aug. 1, Chicago brewer and distributor Intelligentsia will phase out its 20-ounce option—or venti, per Starbucks lingo, the Chicago Tribune reports. Brewing such a large cup dilutes the proportions necessary for maximum flavor, Intelligentsia's CEO says, resulting in a "a watered-down, Big Gulpish version.”
"Drinking our coffee is not like drinking jug wine," he added. "We're focused on intensity of flavors and providing coffee in the way it tastes best. And it's not in that size." Reps for Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts said they had no plans to follow suit.


text:
Asia Broadband (OTC: AABB) today announced that its management and board of directors have approved the retirement and return of 107 million restricted common shares to the company treasury. According to the update, the share retirement process has been initiated with AABB’s transfer agent and is anticipated to be completed in the coming weeks. Asia Broadband’s initiative to create shareholder value led to the agreements with several third-party shareholders to retire the shares. With ongoing plans to continue the shareholder value initiative, AABB expects to retire additional shares to the company treasury in the near future.
To view the full press release, visit https://ccw.fm/x4ySQ
About Asia Broadband Inc.
Asia Broadband is a resource company focused on the production, supply and sale of precious and base metals, primarily to Asian markets. The company utilizes its specific geographic expertise, experience and extensive industry contacts to facilitate its innovative distribution process from the production and supply of precious and base metals in Mexico to client sales networks in Asia. This vertical integration approach to sales transactions is the unique strength of AABB that differentiates the company and creates distinctive value for shareholders. The company has recently released its freshly minted mine-to-token, gold-backed cryptocurrency AABB Gold token (“AABBG”) and strives to become a worldwide standard of exchange that is secured and trusted with gold backing, an outstanding quality relative to other cryptocurrencies. For more information, visit www.AsiaBroadbandInc.com and www.AABBGoldToken.com.
About CryptoCurrencyWire (“CCW”)
CryptoCurrencyWire (CCW) is a financial news and content distribution company that provides (1) access to a network of wire services via InvestorWire to reach all target markets, industries and demographics in the most effective manner possible, (2) article and editorial syndication to 5,000+ news outlets (3), enhanced press release services to ensure maximum impact, (4) social media distribution via the Investor Brand Network (IBN) to nearly 2 million followers, (5) a full array of corporate communications solutions, and (6) a total news coverage solution with CCW Prime. As a multifaceted organization with an extensive team of contributing journalists and writers, CCW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that desire to reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public. By cutting through the overload of information in today’s market, CCW brings its clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness.
To receive instant SMS alerts, text CRYPTO to 77948 (U.S. Mobile Phones Only)
CryptoCurrency News Wire is where News, content and information converge via Crypto.
For more information, please visit https://www.CryptoCurrencyWire.com
CryptoCurrencyWire is part of the InvestorBrandNetwork


text:
An armed robbery at a Main Street store Tuesday night may be connected to other recent holdups, police said Thursday.
The most recent robbery happened shortly after 6 p.m. at the Family Dollar store, 180 Main St., police spokesman Lt. Josh Litwin said. A man walked up to the cashier and feigned buying a box of candy. When the clerk opened the drawer, the thief pulled a black handgun from his pocket and snatched all the cash, Litwin said. The robber wore dark clothing and a black jacket with white sleeves and a large "R" on the left front.
Two weeks ago, an armed robber stole cash from the Dollar Tree store at 10 School St., On Jan. 26, a robber waited in line at the same store, which is across the street form police headquarters. When his turn at the cashier came up, the man displayed a pistol, walked behind the counter and snatched money from the register, police have said.
Jesse Leavenworth can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org


text:
Supply-side platform (SSP) provider PubMatic acquired Mocean Mobile (formerly Mojiva), a mobile ad server, for an undisclosed sum, the companies said on Monday.
Mocean Mobile’s ad-serving capabilities and its ad network extend the mobile capabilities PubMatic gained from its 2012 acquisition of mobile development tech startup Mobiprim, according to PubMatic President Kirk McDonald.
“We launched our mobile efforts in 2012 and by acquiring the leading mobile ad server in the marketplace, we think that we are poised to accelerate the solutions that the marketplace needs to grow,” McDonald said. “Not just multiscreen solutions, but also cross-device inventory management and monetization solutions. Everyone will be looking for cross-screen optimization capabilities and we are well-positioned to do that.”
PubMatic will continue to work with Mocean Mobile’s clients, which include mobile ad networks, app stores and nearly 50 publishers, the company said.
While Ad Age tagged the acquisition cost at $15.5 million, Mocean Mobile co-founder and Chairman Miles Spencer said that price was incorrect.
“I’m not sure who their source was but the person who was supposedly familiar with the transaction was not very familiar with it,” Spencer said. Spencer declined to comment further on the actual amount of the deal.


text:
The IRDAI on Wednesday proposed a regulatory framework to facilitate general insurance companies to offer trade credit insurance covers to suppliers as well as licensed banks and other financial institutions to help businesses manage country risk.
The draft guidelines are for all insurers transacting general insurance business, registered under the Insurance Act, 1938. However, ECGC Ltd would be exempted.
Trade credit insurance protects businesses against the risk of non-payment for goods and services by buyers. It usually covers a portfolio of buyers and indemnifies an agreed percentage of an invoice or invoices that remain unpaid as a result of protracted default, insolvency / bankruptcy.
The government is keen on trade credit insurance that will to enable general insurance companies to offer trade credit insurance with customised covers to improve businesses for the SMEs and MSMEs, considering the evolving insurance risk needs of these sectors.
Based on the recommendations of a working group on revisiting guidelines on trade credit insurance, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has now come up with draft guidelines on trade credit insurance.
The draft said it would also "facilitate general insurance companies to offer trade credit insurance covers to suppliers as well as licensed banks and other financial institutions to help businesses manage country risk, open up access to new markets and to manage non-payment risk associated with trade financing portfolio".
It further said the "scope of cover under trade credit insurance policy shall be the credit risk that has a direct link with an underlying trade transaction — the delivery of goods or services".
If no such direct link exists, the outstanding amount is not insurable under a trade credit insurance policy, the draft said, and added the cover may include but not be limited to commercial risks and political risks.
Political risks cover would be available only in case of buyers outside India and in respect of those countries agreed upon at the proposal stage, said the draft on which IRDAI has invited comments from stakeholders till April 28.
Political risks include the following.
-Operation of a law or of an order, decree or regulation having the force of law which, in circumstances outside the control of the insured and/or the buyer, prevents, restricts or controls the transfer of payment from the buyer’s country to India;
-Occurrence of war between the buyer’s country and India;
-Occurrence of war, hostilities, civil war, rebellion, revolution, insurrection or other disturbances in the buyer’s country;
-Imposition of any law or order, decree or regulation having the force of law which, in circumstances outside the control of the insured and/or of the buyer, prevents the import of the goods into the buyer’s country;
-Cancellation, in circumstances outside the control of the insured and/or of the buyer, of a previously issued and currently valid authority to import the goods;
-Incurring, in respect of goods shipped from India, of any additional handling, transport or insurance charges which are occasioned by interruption or diversion of voyage outside India and which is impracticable to be recovered from the buyer;


text:
After the submission of the remedy package on Siemens and Alstom combination (December 2018), in a press release on the results of its first nine months of 2018/19, Alstom confirmed that the transaction is expected to be closed in the first half of 2019. The transaction is subject to approval by relevant anti-trust authorities.
Since December, Alstom and Siemens had a continuous dialogue with the European Commission, including some improvement of the remedy package to respond to the EC concerns. The proposed package represents the parties’ proposal to address the Commission’s concerns while preserving the industrial and economic value of the deal. There is no certainty that the content of this package will be sufficient to alleviate the concerns of the Commission. On February 18, the two companies expect the EC’s decision.
We remind you that the proposed remedies include mainly signalling activities as well as rolling stock products and represent around four percent of the sales of the combined entity.
In July 2018, the EC has announced the opening of an in-depth investigation on the proposed acquisition of Alstom by Siemens, under the EU Merger Regulation. The Commission raised concerns that the merger may reduce competition in the supply of several types of trains and signalling systems.
Following EC’s announcement, in October, the EU antitrust regulators sent a series of objections over the proposed Siemens-Alstom rail business merger.
The initial investigation found that the combined entity will be nearly three times larger than its closest competitor. The Commission claimed that the proposed transaction would reduce competition in the markets where the merged entity would be active. According to the EC, the transaction could lead to higher prices, less choice and less innovation due to reduced competitive pressure in rolling stock and signalling tenders. ‘This would be to the detriment of train operators, infrastructure managers and ultimately European passengers who use trains and metros on a daily basis,’ EC said in its statement from July.


text:
The advertising industry has a new ethics code, as the Institute for Advertising Ethics today released a set of eight principles on issues ranging from the blurry line between advertising, editorial and entertainment content to behavioral targeting and disclosure of compensation for social-media endorsements.
The institute, an independent body administered by the American Advertising Federation and the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute at the University of Missouri, next wants to launch a series of webinars and conferences in hopes of making the principles an industry standard, said Wally Snyder, the group's executive director and president emeritus of the AAF.
Ultimately Mr. Snyder hopes other associations, marketers and agencies will adopt the principles and go so far as to get members and employees to sign pledges to adhere to them.
"These are not set in stone," he said, noting that additional principles could be added and current ones changed based on feedback. He hopes to provide both a carrot, in the form of recognizing marketers and agencies that abide by the code, and perhaps someday a stick in the form of reviewing complaints that they haven't.
"But the focus of this is education," he said.
Mr. Snyder led an advisory panel of current and former agency and marketer executives and academics who began work on the Principles and Practices of Advertising last summer.
The principles include several seemingly uncontroversial points -- such as statements that everyone in the industry shares an interest in high ethical standards and should adhere to laws and regulations -- to potentially thornier issues.
One principle says advertisers, agencies and media should give employees permission to express ethical concerns internally, but doesn't tell employees to make those concerns public if their concerns aren't addressed.
That principle "really goes to creating an environment within the agency or company where these things can be discussed," he said. "It has to come from the top down."
Mr. Snyder couched the recent controversy over Groupon's Super Bowl ad from Crispin Porter & Bogusky, Miami, as an ethical issue that should have been discussed prior to the ad running, i.e. whether it was right to make light of the plight of Tibetans in an ad.
Groupon CEO Andrew Mason pointed out in his blog that the ad was part of a marketing program that raised money for the Tibet Fund, which found no fault with the ad.
Another principle is that advertisers should clearly distinguish advertising, public relations and corporate communications from news and editorial content and entertainment. Particularly amid growing numbers of media sources and use of brand integration in entertainment, it's a line that's often hard to distinguish, Mr. Snyder said.


text:
ROCHER MAKES BID FOR NEW CUSTOMERS WITH YRIA
Byline: Brid Costello
PARIS — Yves Rocher is targeting two underdeveloped demographics — the over-40 set and ethnic groups — with its newest color cosmetics line, called Yria.
The idea for Yria came about when the company’s consumer studies indicated women in their 40s don’t buy color cosmetics in Yves Rocher’s existing makeup collections, Couleurs Nature and Luminelle, according to Christine Scanlon, international makeup product manager for the firm. What Yves Rocher found was these women want color cosmetics formulated for their skin type — one that is drier than that of 20- or 30-year-old women.
Therefore, Yria’s products and their application techniques were created with mature women in mind. For instance, the 78-stockkeeping-unit line includes a tint for thinning eyebrows that is easily applied with a brush for a natural look, and eye and lip bases meant to smooth over fine lines.
Younger women also can benefit from the line’s wide color selection, according to Scanlon.
But young women were not the other main catalyst for Yria’s conception. The other main driver in launching the line is to meet needs of women from various ethnic backgrounds, particularly due to the large proportion of Yves Rocher customers with Asian and African origins.
“It is the first time we have done this, but it will become a more and more common approach,” she explained. “Yves Rocher makes products for the whole family — for babies and men as well as for women, so we need to have makeup for everyone.”
Scanlon wouldn’t talk numbers, but industry sources estimate that the line could ring up retail sales of $30 million in its first year.
Yria is divided into four lines, with each one corresponding to a particular skin type — fair, medium, tawny and dark — and includes staple products such as foundation, eye shadow, lipstick and nail polish. A fifth line of products for people regardless of their skin color includes mascara and lip and eye bases.
“We wanted a complete line from the beginning, including all the basics,” explained Scanlon. “We won’t do seasonal, fashion-based lines but periodically, we will introduce star products, chosen for the texture, the application technique — something that customers need and want.”
Each category has a different number on its products’ packaging: 100 is for fair, for instance.
Yria products range from $6.40 for an eye pencil to $15.30 for a foundation compact. Dollar figures are converted at current exchange rates and are for France.
The line will be launched in Yves Rocher mail-order catalogs in France and Germany in September, then will hit shelves elsewhere in Europe in October. Yria also will be available in the U.S. and Canada through company mail order and sales representatives starting in January 2002.
At launch, Yria products will be sold at some 50 percent under the recommended retail price to create a buzz. There also will be a sampling campaign, featuring 1-ml. samples of lip and eye bases, which will come in the Yria lipstick and eye shadow boxes.


text:
Bitrez invited to Buckingham Palace event
Posted on 28 Jun 2019 and read 898 times
Wigan-based Bitrez Ltd’s joint managing directors Paul Jones and Brian Allen attended a reception at Buckingham Palace earlier this month to receive a Queen’s Award (in the innovation category) for the company’s development of Curaphen, a BPA-free resin.
Curaphen grades developed in 2013 are cross-linking agents applied internally to food and drink packaging after a world-wide health scare regarding the potential harmful effects of BPA on humans — especially expectant mothers and babies.
Not only do these Curaphen grades satisfy new regulations, but they also meet the desirable processing and performance requirements of conventional BPA derivatives.
) exports have increased by 45% in the past five years, with a third of that figure as a direct result of developing Curaphen.
The company has also doubled its capacity and now runs a 24/7 operation to ensure that it can meet the increased
demand from the USA and China.
Mr Jones said: “It was an honour to attend the event and meet members of the Royal household. It is particularly rewarding for the company to have been recognised in the innovation category.”
Bitrez, which was established in 1982, manufactures a wide range of high-performance synthetic resins and matrix systems that are used around the globe.
Its market sectors include specialist protective coatings, aerospace, defence, automotive and construction.