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Capitals’ newest skill? Amazon’s Alexa
Capitals’ newest skill? Amazon’s AlexaPublished October 2, 2017
The Washington Capitals will become the first professional sports team to release its own Alexa skill, providing fans with a customized experience through Amazon’s voice-controlled smart speakers.
Alexa, the digital personal assistant featured on Amazon’s Echo devices, comes with basic ways to retrieve sports information, but is limited to providing results, next scheduled game and standings.
Users have two ways to receive more information. One is via flash briefings, which allows Alexa to read back to you a recorded update from a specific source. ESPN, Fox Sports Radio and others have flash briefings that will read back the latest sports news. The more in-depth option is with an Alexa skill, perhaps best compared to a third-party app on a smartphone. By downloading a skill, Alexa will then be able to respond to other, more specific programmed commands.
|Capitals fans will be able access news and stats updates and audio content through Alexa.
GETTY IMAGES (2)
The Capitals ran some informal polls of listeners of its TuneIn Radio channel — also available on the device — and found a bit of a footprint. In May, marketing firm The Outcast Agency released data that suggested the Capitals were the fourth-most-asked-about NHL team on the Amazon devices, with Alexander Ovechkin and T.J. Oshie both in the top 10 among NHL players.
Working with Washington, D.C.-based Interactive Strategy Labs, with whom the team also developed a Facebook Messenger bot, Heuser and Capitals staff will launch the skill this week, ahead of the team’s first game Oct. 5.
The skill, which will be called “Capitals,” will respond to basic commands such as “Alexa, ask Capitals when is the next game,” or “Alexa, ask Capitals how many goals does Ovechkin have,” and will have the latest news from the Capitals’ website.
Heuser said it will be programmed with a few fun features as well. By telling it that the Capitals just scored, the device will play the team’s goal horn and light up. If you tell it to “unleash the fury,” it will play an audio clip from the movie “Road Trip” that is often featured during Capitals games.
“We view it as an extension of the team information and content that we put out on social and digital media,” Heuser said. “A lot of our video projects are pushed out on social channels, but we still see a lot of engagement with our podcasts and other audio content that we do. The projected potential audience for voice-activated products is huge, so we see a lot of opportunity to be one of the first to try it.”
According to Heuser, the Capitals will be the first sports team to launch its own skill. The Golden State Warriors are the only other North American pro team with its own flash briefing, he said, while Premier League clubs Arsenal and Swansea have flash briefing listings in the Alexa Store. Many other teams have unofficial flash briefings listed as well.
When the skill launches, there won’t be sponsored content on it, but Heuser said there is the ability to have “presented by” taglines akin to podcasts, or to have flash briefings that are sponsored by a team partner. However, because of how Amazon tracks and shares information about Alexa usage, the Capitals will only know how many people downloaded the skill, not how many actively use it or how often it is used.
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The outbreak has had a number of (mostly devastating) effects on different industries and sectors. The limits of the healthcare system are being tested.
The economy has come to a grinding halt – with corporations and small businesses struggling. Education has been forced to adopt a variety of measures to keep its stakeholders safe while trying to continue its operations. Of course, agriculture has also been affected.
To understand what’s currently happening with this sector, a closer look into smaller agribusinesses is needed. According to the 2018 numbers of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), of the around two million farms in the country, 89.7 percent are classified as small family farms. These small agribusinesses use 47. 7 percent of farmland across the US.
Like all other small businesses, these small farms have been called the backbone of the American agricultural industry. They may be more important now than ever.
Increased Food Banks Demand
Because of how the population reacted to the outbreak, the Farm Bureau has reported an increase of as much as 100 percent for some food banks. Stocks are being emptied across the supply chain thanks to panic-buying and hoarding.
Farmers and ranchers are ready to bridge this supply gap, by working directly with food banks with the help of the USDA. This measure will ensure that farm-fresh food will go directly to families who need it the most.
It will also help farmers redirect their produce from the markets they’ve lost, like restaurants and tourism businesses. It will make sure farmers recover their production costs and are able to continue to deliver.
Health and Safety
But continuing operations now poses health risks to farmers, too. Here are some measures taken to avoid infection in farms according to the Farm Bureau.
- Arriving workers are being screened and distanced.
- Personal interactions are limited whether indoors or out on the field.
- Food delivery services are provided to limit the workers’ exposure to the community.
- Handwashing and sanitizing stations are set up in the field.
- Additional disinfectant supplies are provided for workers in their housing.
- Workers are being educated and updated regarding the development of the outbreak and how best to prioritize health and safety.
- Plans of action are in place to quarantine sick workers.
Even before the outbreak, small farms have been feeling the financial strains of the economy. According to Time, issues like the trade war, severe weather patterns because of climate change, plummeting commodity prices due to globalization, political polarization, and farming corporations have led to hard times for these farmers. Farm debt is at an all-time high at $416 billion. The US has lost over 100,000 farms just between 2011 and 2018.
Covid-19 didn’t help.
One of the measures outlined in the recent Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act was to allot $9.5 billion to agricultural programs. USDA’s new Coronavirus Food Assistance Program is worth around $19 billion. Almost $360 billion have also been set aside for forgivable loans that small businesses can tap into.
Family farmers and small agribusinesses also have the option of accessing agricultural loans from community banks.
With the growing need for food and agriculture, these measures will hopefully be enough to keep the farmers above water.

domain: news


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The future of Here is here.
European car makers Audi, BMW, and Daimler on Monday announced they have completed their acquisition of Here, Nokia's former mapping and location business, which will now operate as an independent company.
"It's the beginning of a new, independent chapter in our history, which began 30 years ago when we first brought driving-specific digital maps to the car," Here's Social Media Lead Pino Bonetti wrote in a blog post.
Today, Here powers its maps with data from more than 80,000 sources, including 3D-mapping cars. To kick its mapping and location technology plans into high gear, the Here team will now explore the possibility of incorporating anonymized data from millions of connected Audi, BMW, and Daimler vehicles and their on-board sensors, which generate information about the car's surroundings. The team also plans to talk with other auto makers "in the coming months" about incorporating their data as well.
The goal is to eventually provide "real-time maps" close to 1:1 scale that can be read by self-driving vehicles and other machines "capable of processing vast qualities of information."
"With its platform further enhanced by data from multiple new sources, Here would be able to accelerate the development of the next generation map needed for automated driving … as well as to enhance the quality of its maps, products, and services for customers in other industries," Bonetti wrote.
Basically, more data equals better maps, and better maps can lead to safer roads, less congestion, cleaner urban areas, and a more conformable ride, according to Audi, BMW, and Daimler.
"In future, maps will give vehicles the ability to effectively 'see around corners,' enabling them to anticipate road hazards and prepare and adjust driving strategies accordingly in a way that increases driver trust," the companies said.
At this point, four out of five new vehicles sold in Europe and North America with in-car navigation have digital maps from Here on board.
Tesla is also using data from its vehicle fleet to improve maps and self-driving features.


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The Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) 50 basis point hike in interest rate has come as a surprise to the industry. The hike has not gone down well with the industry, which fears the increase would lead to a liquidity crunch and a resultant rise in lending rates. This has come at a time when business confidence is on a decline.
The central bank on Tuesday raised repo rate by 50 basis points to 8 per cent and the reverse repo to 7 per cent, while it raised inflation forecast to 7 per cent from 6 per cent earlier.
"The 50 basis point hike suggests that the RBI's assessment of inflation is far more dire (it revised its year-end inflation forecast up from 6 to 7 per cent) than the market and its tolerance much less," HDFC Bank chief economist Abheek Barua said.
"The RBI's pessimism on inflation seems to be underpinned by three factors -- the upward revision in prices of petroleum products, the significant increase in the minimum support prices for some agricultural commodities and finally the persistence of non-food manufactured products inflation at elevated levels reflecting underlying demand pressures," Barua said.
The move will definitely have an impact on the economy, said Amar Ambani, Head of Research, IIFL-India Private Clients.
"Investments and consumption could moderate further, which in turn might drag the GDP growth down below 8 per cent. What's worse, the RBI may not be done with the tightening. All hopes are on monsoon and the government in keeping its fiscal health in check," Ambani said.


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S&P 500 Restores 2015 Gain as U.S. Stocks Rally Toward Year Endby
Amazon rises to a record while Apple, Alphabet pace tech gains
S&P 500 on the verge of erasing a rare December decline
U.S. stocks rose, restoring the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index’s gain for the year and nearly erasing a monthly decline as retailers and technology shares led a rally in light trading.
Amazon.com Inc. paced gains among retailers for a second day, rising 2.8 percent to a record in post-holiday action. Google parent Alphabet Inc. rose 1.5 percent to an all-time high, and Apple Inc. climbed 1.8 percent to bolster technology shares. Pep Boys added 8.8 percent after Carl Icahn raised his takeover offer for the auto-parts chain.
The S&P 500 advanced 1.1 percent to 2,078.36 at 4 p.m. in New York, rising to a three-week high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 192.71 points, or 1.1 percent, to 17,720.98, its sixteenth triple-digit move in 20 sessions. The Nasdaq 100 Index surged 1.5 percent, taking its 2015 gain to almost 11 percent. About 5 billion shares traded hands on U.S. exchanges, 30 percent below the three-month average.
“This remains a Teflon market, it has been all year,” said Michael James, managing director of equity trading at Wedbush Securities Inc. in Los Angeles. “There have been plenty of negative headwinds that should’ve had the market significantly lower than it is now. Most traders are focused on just getting to Thursday and turning the page on an underwhelming 2015.”
Tuesday’s activity was a reflection of the year, with investors piling into the three top-performing S&P 500 industry groups in 2015 -- consumer discretionary, health-care and technology. Two of the year’s worst three, energy and utilities, were the session’s biggest laggards.
With today’s rally, the benchmark has nearly wiped out a monthly decline after falling as much as 3.6 percent amid a series of sharp selloffs and rallies in December. If the measure closes the year higher, it will be its fourth consecutive annual gain. The index has risen as much as 3.5 percent in 2015 and dropped 9.3 percent at its low in August.
The S&P 500 is now up 1 percent for 2015, having fluctuated between gains and losses throughout December amid moves by central banks, including the Federal Reserve’s first interest-rate increase in almost a decade. That compares with a 3 percent drop this year on the MSCI All Country World Index.
While policy makers have forecast the pace of future rate increases to be gradual, they also stressed that the path depends on progress in economic data. A report today showed consumer confidence rebounded in December, putting Americans in the mood to shop during the holiday season. Separate data showed home values in 20 U.S. cities rose at a faster pace in the year ended October.
The Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index fell 4.9 percent Tuesday to 16.08. The measure of market turbulence known as the VIX is little changed this month after a 24 percent drop last week erased a gain of as much as 51 percent in December.
All 10 of the S&P 500’s 10 main industries rose, with tech, health-care and consumer discretionary shares increasing at least 1.1 percent. Consumer-staples companies reached an all-time high, propelled by gains in excess of 1.1 percent in Altria Group Inc. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
Tech stocks extended a two-day climb, paced by chipmakers. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index increased 1.2 percent. Cypress Semiconductor Corp. jumped 5.6 percent, while Qualcomm Inc. added 2.6 percent after the company announced new Chinese patent license agreements. Meanwhile, SunEdison Inc. has lost 15 percent in two days after the company released a financing update last week.
The Nasdaq Internet Index rallied 1.4 percent to take its 2015 climb to 22 percent. The
so-called “FANG” stocks -- Facebook Inc., Amazon, Netflix Inc. and Google’s parent Alphabet -- each rose at least 1.2 percent today.
Consumer companies gained 1.1 percent, while the S&P 500 Retailing Index rose 1.7 percent, the highest in three weeks. The measure is also up nearly 27 percent this year, the strongest since 2013. Amazon, Home Depot Inc. and Priceline Group Inc. contributed the most to the group’s rally today, while Kohl’s increased 3.3 percent to a three-month high.
Buoyed by a gain in biotech companies, health-care stocks jumped 1.2 percent to the highest level since August. The Nasdaq Biotechnology Index climbed 1.8 percent to a three-month high, as Biogen Inc. and Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. added more than 1.9 percent.
Banks rebounded after two days of declines. The KBW Bank Index climbed 1 percent, with U.S. Bancorp and Citigroup Inc. rising at least 1.1 percent. Within the broader financial group, Iron Mountain Inc. led with a 3.1 percent increase. The records management company is still down 27 percent this year, the fourth-worst performance in the group.
Energy stocks were led by Chesapeake Energy Corp. and Consol Energy Inc. -- the two worst performers in the benchmark this year -- as they added more than 4.7 percent. Transocean Ltd. climbed 3 percent, shaving its December drop to about 12 percent. West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 2.9 percent as traders counted on another week of declines in U.S. crude inventories to help ease the glut that’s pushed prices below $40 a barrel.
Among other companies moving on corporate news, Triumph Group Inc. jumped 19 percent after naming Daniel J. Crowley as chief executive officer, ending a search since April for a new leader for the aerospace parts producer. The shares are on track for their steepest advance in seven years.


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Gillian McKeith, the controversial TV nutritionist and diet book author, is understood to be in talks with a number of packaged goods companies about launching co-branded organic versions of established products.
It is thought McKeith is keen to extend her brand into the personal care and household goods categories as well as broadening her food product range.
McKeith, who made her name fronting Channel 4 show You Are What You Eat, is working with media consultancy Lazarus Consulting to find new opportunities for extending her brand. She already sells a range of energy bars, fruit and vegetable juices and cooking oils through supermarkets and health food stores.
Lazarus head Steve Lazarus says McKeith is already in talks with food and household goods manufacturers about a string of projects but declines to say which companies were involved.
He adds that McKeith would be involved in the manufacturing of any co-branded products to make sure the “nutritional elements” were improved and that any products were made in an “ethically responsible” way.
McKeith has been building a branded empire since her TV show began in 2004 though she has come under fire from the medical community. She volunteered to stop using the title “Dr” last year after complaints that her qualification was gained through a correspondence course from a non-accredited US college. But she was, in any case, forced to drop the title after the Advertising Standards Authority ruled it would mislead the public.
More recently, McKeith has courted controversy over her support for the goji berry, a fruit found in the Himalayas that has been billed as a superfood, but is expected to be banned by the Food Standards Authority. The FSA wants the berry to undergo testing before it is pronounced safe to eat.
McKeith has already launched a range of snacks and bars containing the fruit.


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In a surprising reversal of fortune, UK retail sales have bucked the trend and shown a rise in August.
The death of the British shopper has apparently been reported prematurely as sales increased by 0.6 per cent, in defiance of poor summer weather and analysts' predictions of a 0.3 percent fall.
The figures, reported by the Office for National Statistics, have prompted speculation about a further interest rate rise before the end of the year, in contrast to some forecasts that the Bank of England would not need to raise rates above their current 4.75 percent.
Says economist Howard Archer of financial analysts Global Insight: "The relatively strong rebound in retail sales volumes in August, after July's drop … reinforces our belief that the Bank of England will still raise interest rates by 0.25% in November."
Philip Shaw of bankers Investec admits the figures are 'staggering' and says: "We still think rates will be on hold for the rest of the year, but we are somewhat less confident than before the data."
Data sourced from: BBC Online Business News (UK); additional content by WARC staff


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Nintendo has finally added to the Switch’s online streaming capabilities.
Yesterday, the company officially announced that a YouTube app was available for the Nintendo Switch. The YouTube app joins Hulu in regards to the device’s online video streaming options.
The announcement came days after rumors began surfacing from forum users on the sites of ResetEra and NintenHome, saying that they were coming across suggestions for a YouTube app while searching for games on Nintendo’s website.
Switch users had previously been able to put unofficial workarounds in place to access YouTube content prior to the apps release, but technically, since late 2017, Hulu had been the only official digital streaming service available for the Switch, with Netflix still yet to make the leap. Honestly, it is surprising that a YouTube app took this long to make it to the Switch, considering it is available on every other gaming console.
The YouTube app comes with the general functionalities that most regular users would expect, but there are certain limitations that users should be aware of.
Being connected to a Wi-Fi network is the only way to access the app. As such, those with a YouTube Premium subscription will be unable to watch downloaded videos offline. It would make sense for this feature to be available in the future though, as the Switch’s function as a mobile device is one of its largest draws.
The app is also not exactly optimized for the Switch’s touchscreen. For instance, although the app does support 360-degree video viewing, users will need to use the right Joy-Con analog stick to look around, rather than using the touchscreen itself.
Most users will find that the app works perfectly for what they need, while more advanced users will likely have to wait for specific features to be added in future updates. Ultimately, the important thing is that another streaming app has been added to the Switch. The addition of the YouTube app is a step in the right direction for the Switch and bringing in outside integrations. Now, rather than a matter of “if,” it is likely a matter of “when,” for other streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime coming to the Nintendo Switch.


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Apple on 16th of october at its Cupertino, California venue released the new new iPad Air 2. With a much slimmer and sleek look the new iPad Air 2 will have touch ID as its newly introduced feature but this feature already exists in iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.
Tech analysts predicted that there would be much focus on Apple pay and the new Mac operating system Yosemite but both of them were only announced as per their release dates with Apple pay to be released on the coming Monday and Yosemite today. However, a much detailed and effective release note was being expected from Apple but the 16th of Oct Apple event couldn’t create that assumed vibe.
Let’s see what all happened at Apple’s 16 October 2014 iPad and Mac Event:
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Sony Responds To Accusations That PS4 Is Communication Tool For Terrorism
Last week, days before a horrific terrorist attack in Paris that shook the world, Belgium’s deputy prime minister Jan Jambon raised concerns about PlayStation Network. Specifically, Jambon (who also serves as the country’s minister of Security and Home Affairs) identified intense encryption on PSN inhibiting security services from monitoring for potential threats.
Speaking at a Politico-sponsored event on November 10, Jambon indicates that terrorists might be using gaming networks to coordinate. “I heard that the most difficult communication between these terrorists is PlayStation 4,” he said.
He goes on to indicate that Belgian security services have been attempting to penetrate the networks to monitor for terrorist activity. “It’s very, very difficult for our services, not only Belgian services but international services, to decrypt the communication that is done via PlayStation 4,” Jambon says.
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard that world governments have attempted to monitor gaming networks. In late 2013, information leaked by whistleblower Edward Snowden indicated that the National Security Agency has monitored Xbox Live, World of Warcraft, and Second Life.
It’s important to note that there is no evidence that those that perpetrated last week’s attacks in France communicated via PlayStation Network or any other gaming service. Jambon’s statements, days ahead of those attacks are not directly related.
Sony has issues a statement to Eurogamer regarding the accusations.
PlayStation 4 allows for communication amongst friends and fellow gamers and, in common with all modern connected devices, this has the potential to be abused. However, we take our responsibilities to protect our users extremely seriously and we urge our users and partners to report activities that may be offensive, suspicious or illegal. When we identify or are notified of such conduct, we are committed to taking appropriate actions in conjunction with the appropriate authorities and will continue to do so.
Assuming that there is a direct link between the Paris attacks and gaming networks would be a mistake. However, as more reports emerge about government interest in monitoring these communications, gamers should be aware that - as with all online interactions - nothing should be considered entirely private.


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Labrador Iron Mines to get $35M advance payment for future sales
by The Canadian Press
Advance payment will enable it to ramp up production, complete improvements at processing plants
TORONTO—Labrador Iron Mines Holdings has a new two-year agreement to sell all of its production to Iron Ore Company of Canada.
Toronto-based LIM will receive an advance payment of $35-million to be credited towards future sales of at least 3.5 million tonnes of iron during the 2013 and 2014 calendar years.
The advance payment will be financed by an international commodity trading house, RB Metalloyd Ltd.
Under the previous two-year agreement, LIM sold two million tonnes to Iron Ore of Canada, which resold it at prices linked to China’s daily spot price.
Labrador Iron Mines said the advance payment will enable it to ramp up production and complete improvements at its processing plants, which are in western Labrador near the with Quebec.
IOC, Canada’s largest iron ore producer, is controlled by Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto PLC, which owns 59 per cent of its stock.
Japan’s Mitsubishi Corp. owns 26 per cent of IOC and Labrador Iron Ore Royalty Co. owns 15 per cent, according to IOC’s website.
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COVID-19: Effects on Businesses
The COVID-19 pandemic has wrought havoc in many ways, ravaging many local businesses in the process.
2020 has been quite the year, and the world is still trying to make sense of it all. COVID-19 looms like a dark cloud, creating an unpleasant domino effect, with the global economy taking a major hit.
Over 219 countries are affected, and more than 47 million individuals have contracted COVID-19 worldwide. Locally, the situation is just as uncertain, with projections from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) stating that Malaysia will record 6,000 positive COVID-19 cases. While everyone adapts to this, many industries and businesses are bearing the brunt and have been forced to shut down as a result.
Not Everyone Can Fly
With travel in deadlock, the tourism and hospitality industry has been hit hard. Tours to Malaysia have been cancelled and there is a significant drop in tourists coming into the country. Restrictions put in place during Malaysia’s Movement Control Order (MCO) and the subsequent Controlled Movement Control Order (CMCO) further contributed to the impact on tourism.
Malaysia’s three major airlines (AirAsia, Malindo Air and Malaysia Airlines) have had to execute pay cuts to stay afloat. Hotels have had to take drastic measures, even letting staff go. Some local hotels that have shut their doors for good include Holiday Inn Resort at Batu Ferringhi, Emperor Hotel Melaka, Berjaya Tioman Resort and Kinta Riverfront Hotel & Suites, Ipoh.
Off To The Kitchen
The beginning of the MCO saw many becoming kitchen pros; great for the individual, not so much for eateries. When eateries were allowed to reopen, some couldn’t withstand the impact of COVID-19 and were forced to close due to poor sales. With restrictions on operating hours, social distancing measures and fewer people dining out, it has been challenging to keep things going.
In fact, it is said that about 10% of eateries nationwide have since closed, with expectations that this number will rise without a vaccine. This statistic includes coffee shops and mamak outlets, the smaller food businesses. Despite government assistance, some businesses simply weren’t able to sustain. Even the well-known Delicious Group ceased operations this year, after years of success. This has moved many restaurants to offer food delivery as an alternative, simply as a means to survive.
The Show Must Go On … At Home
Cinephiles, better keep that Netflix account alive and be ready to pop some corn at home because you won’t be able to see a movie at the cinemas any time soon. Cinemas tried to weather the storm by implementing social distancing measures, however, the SOP isn’t nearly close to a solution as blockbusters curb their releases.
As such, it was announced that cinemas nationwide would be closed until further notice to slow down the spread of COVID-19. The global film industry has been one of the hardest-hit industries in the wake of the pandemic. Locally, losses amounted to RM1.3mil a day. It’s too soon to tell when the industry will recover, but at the moment it seems movie nights will take place at home.
Goodbyes Are Never Easy
The fate of bookstores and video/record stores has been hanging from a thread for a long time, particularly with the advent of digital media consumption options. However, it can be said that COVID-19 was the final nail in the coffin, with former traditional media giants like MPH and Speedy having to announce their closures this year. It’s definitely sad to see them go, particularly for boomers and millennials who grew up with these as constant fixtures. Small businesses too face an increased risk of closure, with 25% of businesses projected to be affected by the new wave currently hitting the country.
We Can Be Heroes
The struggle is real because COVID-19 has certainly taken its toll on not just health, but also the economy. Though there’s a trial running on the vaccine, distribution globally still pose a challenge.
With reliance on technology, diversification, and government reliefs, hopefully, the affected industries will be able to power through to see a better tomorrow. On an individual level, it is even more imperative for all of us to play our parts to flatten the curve.
If we can save the world by sitting put on our couches, let’s do just that!


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Bad news for all you "Twilight" fans already lining up to buy "New Moon" tonight: There won't be any deleted scenes on the initial DVD release of the movie.
According to PopcornBiz, the flick's director Chris Weitz said, "I'm basically a big, fat liar. I put it out there that there are deleted scenes, but I just realized there aren't. It was an honest mistake."
He said the studio plans to add the scenes to later DVD releases so people are more likely to buy them.
In other words, if you can hold out ... buy your DVD later.


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Thunder Road Capital invests in early stage technology driven businesses led by exceptional people who passionately want to win.
Equally as important, the leaders we back must also have a strong record of conducting themselves with the highest degrees of integrity, decency and community spirit.
We get excited about:
- Leaders who have a proven history of a bias for action
- Ideas that focus either directly or indirectly on providing more rewarding and compelling consumer interactions
- Business models that can utilize our skill set and experience as value accelerators
- Inefficient markets which can be made fundamentally more efficient through the use of technology
- Venture Capital
News on Thunder Road Capital
Yesterday I sent Jordan Banks a happy birthday message through Facebook. Today I found out that the Thunder Road Capital executive is now heading up Facebook Canada. Earlier this... more
Remember this name: Jordan Banks. Why? At Techvibes, we feel Jordan is going to play an important and influential role in shaping how new companies approach the world of online... more
According to a press release Jordan Banks, one of Techvibes Digital Media People to Watch in Ontario in 2010, has invested in Toronto-based startup andPOP through Thunder Road Capital and will be... more


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Exporters in Australia are increasingly looking to new markets for their goods as they try to avoid exposure to tariffs implemented by China, a report has found.
An analysis by Lowy Institute chief economist Roland Rajah found sales of products including barley, copper, cotton, seafood and timber to other markets have risen significantly since new sanctions were introduced by Beijing in late 2020. The suddenness of the shift indicates this is mainly down to trade diversification, the Australian Associated Press reports.
Mr Rajah suggested Australian exporters have been able to benefit because the Chinese sanctions have been targeted at goods for which it has alternative suppliers. This in turn means there are also more buyers for Australian goods, as other sellers have increased their sales to China.
"This shuffling of global trade is precisely the reason the damage inflicted on Australia has been limited," he stated.
However, there remain some areas where fewer alternative options are available. Wine exporters, for example, have struggled to make up for the loss of the premium Chinese market, while beef exports are also down - though the report noted this is "more a reflection of supply-side issues after years of drought".
In 2019, prior to new tariffs being introduced, exports to China amounted to AU$25 billion, or around 1.3 per cent of gross GDP. However, as of the end of January 2021, this has dropped to just AU$5 billion a year.
The research comes shortly after the release of a new Australian government report that aims to set out how the country can look for new markets in the Asia-Pacific region to make up for losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic and the trade war with China.
Trade minister Dan Tehan said this "advocates a 'Team Australia' approach and identifies practical, specific actions that business and governments can take to strengthen the presence of Australia, and our businesses, in Asia".
Among its recommendations, the Asia Taskforce report proposes focusing on markets and sectors where Australia has competitive advantages, such as healthcare in Indonesia and financial services in Japan, India, Vietnam and Korea.


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After Sunoco Inc. sold its Frankford chemical plant to Honeywell International Inc. last year and cut back shipments of key raw materials, Honeywell lined up alternative suppliers in the Gulf of Mexico to bring thousands of tons of a critical industrial chemical for making nylon into the Tioga Marine Terminal in Port Richmond.
That has meant a big gain for the Philadelphia port — an additional 300,000 to 400,000 tons of liquid bulk cargo bound for the Honeywell plant will arrive this year, bringing the total of such cargo to "well over one million tons," said Robert Blackburn, the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority's senior deputy executive director.
Before divesting the Frankford facility, Sunoco was the sole local supplier of the compound, made from benzene and propylene. At the Bridge Street plant in Frankford, the chemical, cumene, is converted into another chemical, phenol, which Honeywell sends to another of its facilities in Hopewell, Va., to turn into the main ingredient other companies use to manufacture nylon for carpet fiber, clothing, and plastic in automobiles.
When Sunoco ran the operation, it could move chemicals from its local refineries directly to the plant. Now cumene must come on oceangoing vessels that need port facilities.
With Sunoco closing the Eagle Point and Marcus Hook refineries and threatening to close its South Philadelphia refinery, Honeywell has to buy cumene from refineries 2,000 miles away. It arrives at two piers owned by the port authority and leased to Kinder Morgan Terminals at Delaware and Allegheny Avenues.
"Overall, we had a 16.7 percent increase in tonnage in the first quarter," including a 15 percent increase in Kia and Hyundai autos coming into South Philadelphia headed to dealer showrooms, Blackburn said. "But overwhelmingly, the increase was from liquid bulk, which was up 124.2 percent in the first quarter."
Because of the distance the ships travel from the Gulf Coast — Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama — Honeywell is making many deliveries up the Delaware River that it didn't used to make.
"Absolutely, we are seeing more barges and ships. Kinder Morgan's facility is busier," said Dave Vattimo, vice president of business development for Kinder Morgan Terminals. "Honeywell is a big customer of ours, and this has been a great addition."
For Honeywell, a diversified company with four business units and 140,000 employees worldwide, it has been a homecoming. AlliedSignal Inc., which merged with Honeywell in 1999, sold the Frankford plant to Sunoco in 1998.
By owning the manufacturing operation, Honeywell has been able to broaden its portfolio — making phenol for its own manufacturing needs, and exporting some to customers in Europe and Asia, said Erin Kane, business director for chemical intermediates at Honeywell.
As a result of the Frankford purchase for $85 million, Honeywell is also selling acetone and alpha-methylstyrene, by-products of making phenol. "We have customers for all three products," Kane said. Honeywell said it pays a competitive price for its cumene but declined to be specific on costs. Honeywell said cutbacks it announced Friday at a specialty products facility in Claymont, Del., were unrelated to the Frankford operations.
On Friday morning, a U.S. Shipping Corp. tanker registered in Wilmington carrying cumene from Corpus Christi and Houston unloaded at a dock south of the main Tioga terminal. An intricate system of pipes took the liquid to storage tanks across the road, as well as directly onto a barge that delivered it to the phenol plant about two miles north on the river.
More than one billion pounds of cumene flow annually to the Frankford plant. This year, 75 percent will come from oil refineries mostly in Texas, and 25 percent will still come from Sunoco's Philadelphia refinery. Sunoco agreed this week to be acquired by a Texas pipeline company for $5.3 billion. Negotiations to sell the refinery are continuing.
"Depending on what happens with the refinery, we are prepared to take 100 percent out of the gulf," Kane said.
"The plan is to continue to maximize the operation. We continue to invest in it," she said. "We took possession of the plant in July. Now that we've got it fully integrated, we are broadening our commercial reach and ramping up the new supply chain."
It's a been a relief for the 160 workers, who thought Sunoco might close the facility. "We're very happy — ecstatic — that we still have a plant to operate," said chemical operator John Ash, 42, of South Philadelphia.
"Honeywell is spending money repairing the place, bringing it up to speed," said Ash, vice president of Steelworkers Local 10-667. "It's looking like there's going to be a future here now, whereas under Sunoco's rule, it was kind of doom and gloom. We never could make any money. Since Honeywell has bought us, they say we are making money."
Tom Marlow, 48, of Holland, Bucks County, maintains equipment, including the tanks, pumps, and pipes at the Kinder Morgan docks. "There's been a significant increase" in activity, he said. "It's keeping everybody working, that's for sure. It's a big shot in the arm for us. With all these refineries closing, everybody gets on edge. I'm glad to see something is improving."
Contact Linda Loyd at 215-854-2831 or email@example.com.


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Report: European retailers behind schedule on HFC phase-out
One year on from the Kigali deal to phase down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and reduce global warming, a new report has highlighted that European retailers are behind schedule to implement natural refrigerants into operations.
Last year, the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol set phase-out timelines for countries to move away from using HFCs for operations such as air conditioning and refrigeration. Countries such as the US, Japan and European nations pledged to start phasing out synthetic HFCs in 2019, while India and a host of developing countries committed to a 2028 timeline.
HFCs – originally introduced as a replacement for CFCs – have a significant impact on climate change, with a global warming effect up to 4,000 times more damaging than CO2. One of the key needs of the Kigali Amendment was that HFCs could cause global warming of 0.5C if left unchecked.
Retailers are large users of HFC systems, and an average supermarket refrigeration system can leak up to a quarter of its refrigerant charge annually, the equivalent of more than 1,500 metric tonnes of carbon emissions.
A new whitepaper launched today (10 October) from University of Birmingham, commissioned by engineering firm Emerson, has gathered analysis from numerous reports and studies to examine progress made to date by European retailers.
The whitepaper notes that the EU F-gas Regulation looks set to cut the supply of HFCs by almost 80% by 2030, and that supply will fall to 48% below 2015 levels next year. This reduction in supply could led to a 20-fold increase in the price of HFC systems, which will likely incentivise the market to shift to natural or low global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants.
However, progress to date has been slow. Industry associations such as the EPEE have warned of the price spike for food retailers who fail to act. So far, most supermarkets phasing-out HFC refrigerants have switched to CO2 systems, while Waitrose and Lidl have opted for water-cooled hydrocarbon systems.
To meet the phase-down timetable, the whitepaper notes that food retailers should have installed 18,500 low GWP systems in 2015 alone. However, only 9,000 systems have been installed across Europe to date, while just 500 stores have wholly converted to water-cooled hydrocarbon integrals.
The report’s author Professor Toby Peters said: “The report highlights the need for the refrigeration industry, and retailers in particular, to consider the holistic, long term impact of their technology choices. The phase out of HFCs provide a unique opportunity to look beyond the choice of refrigerant, and to fundamentally rethink store and system architectures to ensure that they maximise environmental and operational benefits.
“Refrigeration systems introduced today could still be operating in 15 years’ time and it’s imperative that we grasp the once in a generation chance to deliver genuinely clean cold. Given the size of heating and cooling demands within our society, this is essential as we transition to sustainable energy.”
Policy at play
The whitepaper notes that the capital costs of CO2 systems can be 5% – 10% higher than the HFC systems they replace. Examining life cycle impacts and the long-term energy efficiency of wider systems should be considered by retailers that are deterred by the increase in upfront capital, according to the report.
The report calls on Governments across Europe to incentivise uptake in natural refrigerants to ensure solutions deliver maximum benefit. Investment into R&D and increasing depreciations allowances for investments into new systems that are both low GWP and energy efficient is encouraged by the report.
There are notable examples of retailers commiting to the phase out. Tesco could be set to reduce its carbon footprint by 40% – well above the 26.5% reduction it is targeting against a 2006 baseline – through the installation of low GWP refrigerants across 1,200 UK stores.
Elsewhere, German discount supermarket group Aldi has invested £20m in natural refrigerants which will be installed across all of its UK stores to reduce its environmental impact. The transition to CO2 refrigeration units will see Aldi’s potential refrigerant gas carbon emissions cut by 99%.
In association with the Consumer Goods Forum, whose members include multinational consumer goods retailers and manufacturers, and other platforms such as Refrigerants, Naturally! member organisations recognise that the opportunity for collective action and impact is huge and are committed to rolling out solution-based initiatives.
In a blog post for edie, Emerson Commercial and Residential Solutions’ director of integrated solutions Eric Winandy suggested that phasing-out HFCs provided an “ultimate opportunity” for business sustainability.
© Faversham House Ltd 2023 edie news articles may be copied or forwarded for individual use only. No other reproduction or distribution is permitted without prior written consent.


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The energy department has begun to dole out $25 billion in loans designated for the development of fuel-efficient vehicles. The program is designed to grease the wheels for technological innovation that will drive the auto industry of tomorrow to occur here in the United States.
After decades of job cuts in the US auto industry, the federal government is hoping that innovation can revitalize the sector and create employment.
The first $8 billion was handed out back in July, with Fisker being announced as a loan recipient just this week. GM and Chrysler have been excluded from this program to date, since they do not meet the economic viability standard for loan recipients.
Ford – $5.9 billion
Ford’s Research and Innovation Center in Dearborn, Michigan will receive the funds to produce 13 fuel-efficient vehicles. Ford says that this will include advances to the traditional internal combustion engine as well as electrified vehicles.
Ford’s EcoBoost technology will improve the fuel-efficiency of its current gas-powered line-up, models which sell over 2 million cars a year. Ford is also looking to convert 50% of its fleet to into so called flex-fuel vehicles that are compatible with E85, a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline.
Nissan — $1.6 billion
Nissan will renovate its plant in Smyrna, Tennessee to produce electric vehicles (EVs) and the batteries that power these EVs. The plant is expected to employ 1,300 workers and produce 150,000 cars a year.
Fisker — $528.7 million
Henrik Fisker knows car design: the man has designed two “Bond Cars” for two different makers. Now he brings talent to the green car market for Fisker Automotive. The half billion dollar loan will be used both to begin producing the company’s first model, the Karma sports car, and a second model, a sedan currently known as Project NINA.
Tesla — $465 million
Back in July Tesla CEO Elon Musk said “Tesla will use the loan precisely the way congress intended—as the capital needed to build sustainable transport.” This means $365 million is going towards putting out the follow-up to Tesla’s Roadster sports car, the Model S sedan, while $100 million goes towards a 650 employee power-train plant in California.


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Draft rules by Beijing to curb excessive spending in online gaming, wipes nearly $80bn value off two Chinese gaming giants
Authorities in Beijing are once again targetting gamers, with draft rules to curb excessive spending in online gaming.
Reuters reported that China’s media watchdog, the National Press and Publication Administration, (NPPA) on Friday announced guidelines aimed at curbing spending and rewards that encourage video games, in a blow to the world’s largest gaming market.
This is not the first time that China has targetted the gaming community, as is another attempt by the ruling Communist Party to retain control of the virtual economy and online world.
When the news of the proposed new rules emerged, it caused shares in two of the biggest Chinese gaming companies, Tencent and NetEase, to plunge in Hong Kong trading.
Tencent, China’s largest gaming company, saw its shares plunge 16 percent before recovering to close 12 percent lower. Meanwhile NetEase’s stock price lost about 25 percent of its value.
The share price movement wiped nearly $80 billion in market value off the two firms.
According to Reuters on Friday the new rules from the National Press and Publication Administration, will effectively sets spending limits for online games.
Online games will now be banned from giving players rewards if they log in every day; if they spend on the game for the first time; or if they spend several times on the game consecutively. All are common incentive mechanisms in online games.
Games are also required to set limits on how much players can top up their digital wallets for in-game spending.
Tencent Games’ vice president Vigo Zhang reportedly said Tencent will strictly implement regulation requirements.
NetEase reportedly declined to comment.
This is not the first time that Chinese authorities have cracked down on the gaming community.
In August 2021 the NPPA imposed tough new rules governing how much time children in China could play video games.
It limited online gamers under the age of 18 from playing on weekdays, and restricted them to playing online to just three hours most weekends.
This was (at the time) a significant escalation of the restrictions on the country’s massive gaming industry, as well as the country’s youngsters.
Prior to that, children in China had in 2019 been restricted by the NPPA to 90 minutes on weekdays and three hours on weekends.
Chinese officials justified the draconian restrictions, saying it would help prevent young people becoming addicted to video games. They also previously labelled video games as “spiritual opium”.
Approvals of new video games also were suspended for about eight months, and only resumed when Chinese authorities eased a broader crackdown on the wider tech industry.
In November 2022, the Chinese government boldly stated that its measures had solved the gaming addiction problem.
In December 2022 the Chinese regulator approved the importing of 45 foreign games, and then in March 2023 the Chinese game regulator approved another 27 foreign games for domestic release – in the latest sign that the Chinese crackdown on gaming industry was easing.
Clampdowns and restrictions in China are of course nothing new, and the country is famous for its online firewall and Internet restrictions.
In 2019 for example China enacted a law that requires individuals to have their faces scanned when purchasing a SIM card, to ensure mobile users could be identified.
Beijing also forced through a draconian security law in Hong Kong in 2020, which the British government said at the time violated its Joint Declaration agreement between the two countries.
That law banned any activity Beijing deemed to constitute sedition, secession and subversion, and allowed Chinese state security to operate in the territory.
In 2021 China also approved sweeping new rules to govern the collection and use of people’s personal data going forward. Essentially this law prohibited “illegally collecting, using, processing, transmitting, disclosing and trading people’s personal information.”
China’s central bank in 2021 urged banks and payment firms to crack down harder on cryptocurrency trading.


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Over the weekend, the remaining members of the Grateful Dead kicked off their reunion “Fare Thee Well” concerts in Santa Clara, California. These concerts are billed as the last time that Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann, Mickey Hart and Bob Weir will perform under the name of the Grateful Dead. The final three highly-anticipated shows begin on July 3 at Soldier Field in Chicago. Rhino Records has just announced that these final shows will all be recorded and available in a variety of formats on November 20.
The original line-up of the Grateful Dead gave what would be their final performance on July 9, 1995 at Soldier Field. No one knew at the time of course that it would be the final show with the legendary Jerry Garcia. In fact, many Deadheads do not even consider it to have been a great concert. Garcia’s drug troubles had led to problems onstage for most of that last tour, and after his passing that August, the remaining members of the band formally disbanded. However, the surviving members have reunited in various incarnations and configurations over the last 20 years under different names, including at one point, The Dead.
The final reunion shows also serve as the highlights of the Grateful Dead’s 50th anniversary celebration. Rhino has already released a 2-CD greatest hits compilation earlier this year and has announced a massive box set chronicling live performances. The newly-announced recordings of the reunion concerts focus mostly on last show of stand, July 5, although the full three shows will be available through Dead.net. We’ve got the press release below and Amazon links if you want to own the last show that will be billed to the Grateful Dead!
LOS ANGELES – To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Grateful Dead, the “core four” original members – Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh, and Bob Weir – will reunite at Chicago’s Soldier Field for one of the most anticipated concert events in recent history. FARE THEE WELL: CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF GRATEFUL DEAD will occur over three nights on July 3, 4, and 5, 2015, marking the original members’ last-ever performance together. The band will be joined by Trey Anastasio (guitar), Jeff Chimenti (keyboards), and Bruce Hornsby (piano). The group will perform two sets of music each night, nearly 20 years to the day of the last ever Grateful Dead concert with Jerry Garcia, which took place at the same historic venue.
Fare Thee Well: Celebrating 50 Years of Grateful Dead will be available November 20 from Rhino/Grateful Dead in a variety of audio and video formats, outlined below. Dead.net, the official Grateful Dead website, is the only place fans can get complete audio and video for all three shows. The two dead.net exclusive versions, one 12-CD/7-Blu-ray and the other 12-CD/7-DVD, will each be limited to 20,000 individually numbered copies on their first run. The dead.net versions will also feature an exclusive bonus disc featuring a behind-the-scenes look captured by Justin Kreutzmann. Included on the disc will be footage from the Grateful Dead ticketing office documenting the 350,000 plus tickets requests received for the shows, vignettes from the parking lot scene at Soldier Field and backstage material from the shows themselves.
You can pre-order selected titles below; we will update all editions as soon as Amazon U.S. and U.K. links are active!
FARE THEE WELL – Dead.net Exclusive Complete Versions
• 12-CD/7-Blu-ray Complete Version – Full audio and high-definition video from all three
shows on CD and Blu-ray plus exclusive bonus disc of behind-the-scenes footage. Individually
numbered, limited edition of 20,000.
• 12-CD/7-DVD Complete Version – Full audio and video from all three shows on CD and
DVD plus exclusive bonus disc of behind-the-scenes footage. Individually numbered, limited
edition of 20,000.
FARE THEE WELL – Retail Versions
• 4-CD/2-Blu-ray Version – Full audio and high-definition video from final show (July 5) on CD and Blu-ray. (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. TBD)
• 4-CD/2-DVD Version – Full audio and video from final show (July 5) on CD and DVD. (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. TBD)
• 2-Blu-ray Version – Full high-definition video from final show (July 5) on Blu-ray. (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. TBD)
• 2-DVD Version – Full video from final show (July 5) on DVD. (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. TBD)
• 2-CD “Best Of” Version – Audio highlights from all three shows. (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. TBD)
• Digital Download – Audio and video from the final show (July 5) will be available as well as audio from the “Best Of” version.


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Chinese-furniture, from hong kong's michael leung to japan's ryosuke fukusada to indonesia's alvin tjitrowirjo 97 emerging designers shaping. Higher duties may nudge many entrepreneurs into furniture manufacturing and build stronger local brands the domestic players, long island's chinese food drought has officially ended with the reopening of the orient in bethpage when it opened in 2002. Computer monitor imports off better than 60 seats down almost 55 furniture off more than 60 overall u s imports from, furniture lacquer market" 2020 2025 report provides market share cagr production consumption revenue gross. But kiev based design brand faina has put a new spin on the idea and released a collection of audio bedtime stories based on, the furniture market has been thoroughly scrutinized and then carefully demarcated by geographic locations which.
Look at the delft stool and table and its source of inspiration becomes immediately clear influenced by the world of pottery, the u s department of commerce has readied duties as high as 122 for chinese companies selling industrial staples after finding that the producers were selling the products at unfairly low prices. The homag group has announced an agreement with homag china golden field to form one organization homag group acquires the, this report also researches and evaluates the impact of covid 19 outbreak on the occasional furniture industry involving


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PayPal launched a new all-in-one, personalized app that includes a bevy of new features to manage their finances, from savings to shopping, as well as an expanded way to give directly to charities, individuals and businesses.
The San Jose, Calif-based payment processor introduced the Generosity Network in the United States last year to offer customers a way to create customized fundraising campaigns for themselves or others in need. The launch of the new PayPal app builds on the existing features of the Generosity Network with more ways to raise money for causes, directly within the new app.
In addition to raising funds for individuals or small businesses with Generosity Network, customers in the U.S. and United Kingdom (U.K.) can also seamlessly raise funds for their favorite charity with Generosity Network for Charity – a new function of the community-based Generosity Network. Instead of donated funds being sent to a customer’s PayPal account like it would with the Generosity Network, funds raised with Generosity Network for Charity will be donated directly to PayPal Giving Fund, a donor-advised fund (DAF) that grants the funds to charity.
PayPal’s Generosity Network, launched in 2020 to allow customers to raise funds for causes, expanded to the U.K. and Germany. Customers in these countries now can find causes to support in their local community or elsewhere, such as small businesses or individuals in need.
Each campaign created on the Generosity Network is amplified to millions who can help others reach their fundraising goals. Each campaign can raise up to $20,000 USD (£20,000 in the UK and €20,000 in Germany) and run for up to 30 days. Money donated is deposited directly into the customer’s account with PayPal, allowing customers to easily distribute the funds to the intended cause, whether that’s a small business, a friend, or family member.
Giving to individuals in the United States was estimated to have grown 12.8% between 2019 and 2020, to $16.22 billion.
Users can run one Generosity Network fundraiser at a time unless they represent a charity, in which case they can run multiple fundraisers at the same time. To accept donations via the Generosity Network, charities must enroll with the PayPal Giving Fund.
With the launch of the new PayPal app, for the first time in countries where Generosity Network and Generosity Network for Charity is available, customers can now raise funds and donate to causes right from their smartphone, by creating and discovering campaigns within the new PayPal app, as well as on desktop.
In addition to the Generosity Network, giving has been centralized, now located in the Payments hub in the new PayPal app alongside the ability to send and receive money from friends and family, and where you can pay bills. The new Giving tab houses the Generosity Network where you can create or contribute to a campaign and where users have the ability to search for and donate to support a charity.


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2020 was supposed to be the first year since 1969 that the Peanuts Thanksgiving special would not air on regular TV after Apple TV purchased the rights to stream Peanuts holiday specials.
After some pushback, it appears that some of the films will now be aired on PBS or for free on Apple TV.
PBS has struck a deal with Apple and the iconic holiday Peanuts classics are going to air on television, the way it has been for decades, Fox News reports.
22, at 6:30 p.m. on Nashville Public Television (NPT).
On Wednesday, Apple bowed to the backlash, announcing it had teamed up with PBS for ad-free broadcasts of "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" (on November 22) and "A Charlie Brown Christmas" (on December 13).
Then an online petition was launched demanding the programs' return to traditional TV - and it has garnered over 260,000 signatures to date. The special will be available for free on the platform from November 25 through November 27.
"A Charlie Brown Christmas", the 1965 special, will begin streaming on Apple TV+ on December 4.
Halloween classic "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" did not air on TV this year, and the free streaming window has closed. Again, this special will be available to watch for free from December 11 through December 13. The deal made the streaming service the exclusive home for classic Peanuts content, as well as new original series and specials based on Charles M. Schulz's cartoon characters, several of which have been renewed. To see more, visit 91.7 WVXU.


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Summit Financial Resources recently provided $7 million in working capital financing to a variety of small and medium-sized businesses across the country. These fundings include Accounts Receivable and Inventory financing for the following companies:
In the Intermountain Region, Summit funded a $1,500,000 A/R credit line to a media replication company located in Salt Lake City.
In the Northeast Region, Summit funded a $350,000 A/R credit line to a provider of weatherization services in Connecticut.
In the Western Region, Summit funded a $2,250,000 A/R & Inventory credit line to an auto accessory supplier, a $400,000 A/R credit line to a manufacturer of hospitality lighting, a $250,000 A/R credit line to a hauling company, and a $2,000,000 A/R credit line to a post-production services company specializing in the entertainment industry.


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Managed Service Providers (MSPs) can now easily manage indoor and outdoor networks for enterprise customers, hotels and venues — without requiring end-users to purchase equipment
December 12, 2016 — CAMPBELL, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE) – KodaCloud Inc., the first company to offer enterprise customers Wi-Fi as a cloud-powered subscription service with one global expert system for proactive network monitoring and troubleshooting using patented Artificial Intelligence (AI), today announced the commercial availability of its new outdoor Wi-Fi Access Point (OAP). With this launch, KodaCloud has now expanded its portfolio of Wi-Fi as a Cloud Service to deliver a seamless Wi-Fi experience for mixed indoor and outdoor environments.
“KodaCloud is re-defining the organizational network,” said Craig Mathias, a Principal with the wireless and mobile advisory firm Farpoint Group. “What we’re seeing here isn’t just the future of Wi-Fi in enterprise, government, and beyond, but in fact the re-definition of organizational IT itself away from ever-more boxes and towards easily-scalable and very cost-effective services.”
KodaCloud’s service includes a network of indoor and outdoor Wi-Fi Access Points (AP) that are shipped directly to customer location(s), and entire networks can be installed in minutes. KodaCloud delivers and manages the networks for less than the cost of most vendors’ maintenance contracts, eliminating the need for a customer to buy equipment or a partner to manage inventory or shipments.
“KodaCloud’s new outdoor AP is the result of over a decade of experiences in creating and delivering innovative access points for rugged outdoor and mixed indoor environments,” said Marcel Chenier, vice president of engineering. “What makes this an industry first, is KodaCloud’s ability to proactively manage and troubleshoot mixed and regionally distributed deployments of indoor and outdoor Wi-Fi networks, controlled by one global expert system powered by Artificial Intelligence.”
KodaCloud OAP specifications include:
- 11ac, 3×3 dual radio 2.4 + 5.8 GHz (FCC)
- IP-67 compliant enclosure and temperature rated for -40℃ to 60℃
- Omni-directional and directional antenna options
- Gigabit Ethernet with Power over Ethernet
“We’re very happy to be the first partner to deploy the new outdoor AP from KodaCloud,” said Greg Chitwood, CEO of Allied Communications. “Our customers need indoor and outdoor options, and we’re very pleased to benefit from KodaCloud’s proactive network management that’s already saving us time and resources.”
KodaCloud’s patented AI-powered cloud service reduces or eliminates the need for dedicated IT teams to constantly monitor network traffic, monitor radio interference or respond to network alerts indicating a problem without a clear solution. MSPs benefit from unprecedented profit margins with KodaCloud.
For more information about KodaCloud’s OAP and images, please go to https://kodacloud.wpengine.com/media-kit/
Stay up-to-date on AI-Powered Cloud Service Wi-Fi. Register for one of our many upcoming 30-minute insights, including “IT in the Cloud” on December 15. Special MSP trial offers available. https://kodacloud.zoom.us/webinar/register/a59b300bbfbc6b1434538d7d4481ef37
About KodaCloud Inc.
KodaCloud is the first company to offer enterprise customers with Cloud Service Wi-Fi powered by patented Artificial Intelligence (AI). KodaCloud is a privately held company with investments from Comcast Ventures, Celtic House Venture Partners and Voyager Capital. KodaCloud is based in Silicon Valley, California with offices in Ottawa, Canada. KodaCloud is a proud member of the MSPAlliance. Find out more at www.kodacloud.wpengine.com and follow the company on Twitter @KodaCloud and LinkedIn. ©2016 KodaCloud Inc. (trademark pending).


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The United Kingdom branch of Audatex last month announced an “innovative, all-encompassing, next generation” first notice of loss system able to predict total losses at the scene and dispatch repairable cars to an appropriate insurance network shop.
The AudaFNOL product announced Oct. 24 by Audatex U.K. and at Connected Claims Europe is designated for Great Britain, but a spokesman for Audatex U.S. didn’t rule out the system coming to America.
“The team is working through the localization of this technology but are not ready yet to release information,” spokesman Morgan Butler wrote in an email Monday. He suggested more information might be available next year.
The system appears to largely rely upon photos taken by the customer following the crash, which receive desk review from an adjuster — and an artificial intelligence.
“AudaFNOL is another example of how we’re driving the insurance industry forward through enhancing operational efficiencies and controlling cost for the customer, improving their overall journey that ultimately leads to a superior customer experience,” Audatex UKSA Managing Director David Shepherd said in a statement. “By launching AudaFNOL, we’re taking advantage of the growing importance that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is playing in the sector, helping to speed-up the overall process for both the customer and insurer.”
Audatex noted that the customer might have a more interactive role than simply taking the photos.
“Using Audatex’s software, the policyholder or the claims handler can then mark up the area and severity of the vehicle’s damage witheither a 2D Damage Capture portal or a downloadable 3D Damage Capture app that provides a gamified representation of the exact damage to the vehicle,” Audatex wrote.
The company wrote it was testing its image recognition system “with a view to streamlining the AudaFNOL process even further.”
The software then runs the vehicle through a predictive analytics “Repair vs. Total Loss feature,” according to the British branch of the IP. The system classifies the vehicle damage “based on millions of vehicle damage assessments,” which is probably a reference to a historic record of photos associated with estimates. CCC and Mitchell both have announced plans to have an AI make total loss determinations using similar data sets.
Audatex said repairable vehicles can be dispatched to the shop which best fits the conditions of the wreck and customer. While shop choice laws in many states prevent insurers from selecting a repairer outright or “steering” to a network shop, the technology might still have a role in helping shops and insurers load-level at an MSO or DRP network in a particular market. It also seems like a means of ensuring a certified shop gets the work rather than whomever happens to be No. 1 in the DRP KPI rankings.
“Audatex’s Repair Allocation Manager (RAM) lists availability of repairers, based on its Repairer Network Management module, cross referencing the repairer’s suitability to effectively carry out the repair and the proximity to the customer,” Audatex wrote. “RAM identifies the type of repair required from traditional, mobile, fast-track or advanced (electric/aluminium/ADAS) repairs.”
Audatex also touted the benefits of the system to shops. Being able to access the information allows the repairer to better schedule its workload, according to Audatex. (Surprisingly, it didn’t point to the obvious benefit of the shop being able to order at least exterior parts immediately.)
However, Audatex argued that having access to the AudaFNOL data also allows the shop to impress the customer — an interesting point and a hopefully a good predictor of insurer cooperation when it comes to a shop obtaining AI and FNOL data available to the carrier.
“Allowing the bodyshop visibility of the images before speaking to the customer enables a smoother and improved customer experience, with additional familiarity of the vehicle and customer’s needs,” Audatex wrote.
Whether AudaFNOL makes it over to the U.S. or not, such “insurtech” seems likely to start changing the claims game for collision repairers and auto insurers sometime next year. Shops are going to have to be ready to adapt to the benefits and headaches accompanying such systems to stay competitive. A crucial step — particularly in the case of non-DRP facilities — will be to be kept in the loop on the trove of data and photos already available to the customer and insurer before the vehicle even arrives at the shop, just as a specialist might request the medical records from a referring general practitioner.
Audatex United Kingdom, Oct. 24, 2017
Featured image: The Solera booth advertises Audatex at NACE 2017. (John Huetter/Repairer Driven News)


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Ever since last year, if you are living in the U.S, you may have noticed a few things. Nearly empty dealer lots, higher prices for used cars in general, large markup on the few remaining new cars at dealerships. But all have their roots in the same issue: there simply aren’t enough cars available on the market to meet demand from buyers, whether they be new or used. Why is this?
Some people will say it’s the chip shortage that is causing delays in manufacturing, while others will blame the broader COVID supply chain issues in general. But, this issue has been fermenting for years, and these only made worse a problem that was bound to get worse anyway.
Cash for Clunkers Goals
The biggest reason car prices are so high? A closed automotive marketplace is the biggest, but the thing that exposed the issues of that marketplace was the 2009 Car Allowance Rebate System. Better known as Cash for Clunkers, it was a key policy component of the U.S. government’s response to the economic downturn of the 2008 Subprime Mortgage Crisis, it was designed with the following aims:
- To stimulate the economy in a time when consumer spending was down
- To help boost sales for GM and Chrysler to improve their cash flow; critical given they were in bankruptcy proceedings and had just received bailout money from the U.S. government
- To increase the average fuel efficiency of vehicles on American roads
The basic idea of this program was that if you traded in an older, fuel efficient car for the purchase of a new, more fuel efficient model, the federal government would subsidize the purchase of said vehicle to the tune of either $3,500 or $4,500, depending on how much more fuel efficient the new car was relative to the one traded in. The old car would then be scrapped and removed from the vehicle fleet so as to ensure that it would not continue to pollute.
In theory, sounds okay. In practice, it accomplished none of its desired effects. In a study of the effects of the program (link in the description below), 360,000 additional cars were sold in July and August of 2009 compared to if the policy hadn’t been implemented. This, however, was offset by a sharp decline in car sales 7 months later.
Translation? The additional sales attributed to Cash for Clunkers mostly represented buyers that would’ve purchased a new car anyway, but did it sooner rather than later to get the rebate while they could. In aggregate, it means that additional sales of new cars were net-zero overall in the best case scenario. Other studies have even suggested that the program, in fact, resulted in a net DROP in yearly car sales.
It was ineffective
However, it gets worse. The two companies that requested financial assistance, GM and Chrysler, only accounted for a quarter of the sales made in the program. And the only U.S-made cars to get spots the top-10 on the cash for clunkers sales chart were Fords; and they didn’t even request any money in the first place!
Am I blaming people for not buying GM or Chrysler products? No, as American cars of the 1990s and 2000s were complete pieces of crap I would never buy or recommend anyone to buy. But that isn’t the point. If the goal was to help struggling American automakers improve sales to get out of the bad situation they were in and to stimulate the wider economy, Cash for Clunkers accomplished absolutely NOTHING.
Any positives effects attributed to the program likely would’ve happened anyway
However, what about improving the fuel efficiency of cars on american roads? On this regard, the policy could be argued to have been a success.
The problem? Any improvement in fuel economy of vehicles on american roads is the result of a trend that PREDATES cash for clunkers. And furthermore, by preventing the components of vehicles traded in under the program from being recycled in any meaningful way, the U.S. government likely INCREASED carbon emissions, since most CO2 emissions from a car come from initial production. And, as I said before in my article explaining why buying a Tesla is a bad idea, you CANNOT CONSUME YOUR WAY OUT OF A PROBLEM CONSUMPTION CREATED!
This is because even if a few hundred thousand more fuel efficient vehicles are sold, there are nearly 200 million cars on the roads of America, so any meaningful change in fuel economy and emissions will take a LONG time to materialize.
Biggest impact? Screwing over the poor
However, the worst part of the program was its impact on the car market in general. Through the cash for clunkers program, nearly 3/4 of a million cars were scrapped, and one of the conditions of this program was that the engines were to be destroyed; preventing the car from ever running again. Nor could other parts be salvaged off of these cars per the programs requirements.
Again, contributing to rising emissions due to additional recycling and production, but, more importantly also making repairs more expensive on existing cars. The caveat is that the absolute cheapest of cars that would’ve been available were instead scrapped under the scheme
Unfortunately, outside of the unaffordable urban cores of older, east coast cities, the reality for most Americans, rich and poor, is that if you want to get anywhere, you have to drive.
This, in practice, adds a buy-in price for economic participation in America, as getting to any resource, whether it be work, food, or entertainment, necessitates owning a car. While this cost is easier to bear for the (shrinking) middle class and above, it is a BIG problem made even more difficult for the poor.
Often, these people are working minimum wage, low skill service jobs that cannot be done remotely. You don’t show? Manager easily fires you and you are replaced. But wait, there’s more!
In America, if a person loses their job, they also lose their health insurance and other benefits. And for people with a condition like diabetes that necessitates insulin or some other medication/hormones, no health insurance renders the medication unaffordable. Cutting their access off? You may as well be handing them a death sentence.
This means, even those least able to afford a car MUST have one if they want to keep their head above water, and they need the absolute cheapest of cars so they can still afford to eat and pay rent. What type of cars did cash for clunkers disproportionately take off the road in large numbers? Why, the cheap beaters that were the only cars that the poorest americans could barely afford in the first place, of course!
And its not like new car prices have become more affordable either, they haven’t. Since 2008, new car prices have gone up 66%, and are on track to surpass $50k NEXT YEAR should current trends continue. And in an environment where nominal wages have remained stagnant for a half-century, buying a new car is harder to stomach than ever. This means there is more competition for the used cars remaining, further pushing up prices and making life more difficult for the poor.
So why are cars so expensive now? Why is there a shortage? Once again, it boils down to a failed U.S. government policy publicly touted as a means to save the country, but in reality, it was thinly-veiled corporate welfare that ended up screwing over the poorest Americans. And once again, the politicians, being politicians, claimed victory on top of the ash heap.


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Venture capital funding to blockchain and cryptocurrency start-ups dropped by 29 per cent to $6.5 billion in the second quarter of this year amid wider market volatility and the “crypto winter” that caused prices to crash, a report by market intelligence platform CB Insights has shown.
Although funding declined for the first time in two years, the quarter’s total deal value was the fourth-largest for blockchain and cryptocurrency start-ups, CB Insights said on Thursday. In comparison, the start-ups attracted $9.2bn in the first quarter and are projected to receive $31.5bn worth of total funding this year.
While venture capitalists led the investor deal share in the second quarter, funding shifted away from centralised cryptocurrency exchanges and wallets towards non-fungible tokens (NFTs), gaming, decentralised finance (DeFi), and decentralised app (DApp) infrastructure and development, the report showed.
“Investors scaled back crypto investments due to macroeconomic pressures and concerns about crypto valuations and stablecoins,” CB Insights said.
The “crypto winter” — which caused Bitcoin to crash below the key $20,000 psychological level in June — wiped $2 trillion off the sector’s total market capitalisation, causing it to fall below $1tn.
Since then, Bitcoin, the world’s first and largest cryptocurrency, has pared back some of its losses and was trading at $23,187.16 as of 10.06am UAE time on Thursday.
Despite July’s rebound, cryptocurrency-related companies have been among the worst-performing stocks this year as investors fled risky assets, fearing that the Federal Reserve’s aggressive policy-tightening regime could tip the economy into a recession.
The US drove the global blockchain funding decline in the second quarter, falling 42 per cent quarter on quarter. However, the US led funding with 178 deals totalling $3.4bn, CB Insights said.
Silicon Valley was the top US location for blockchain funding in the second quarter at $937m, surpassing New York at $678m and Los Angeles with $492m.
Europe was the only region that recorded growth in blockchain venture funding and deals in the quarter, CB Insights found. It tied with Asia at $1.4bn, but was behind the $3.4bn that went to US-based companies.
Singapore ranked top in Asia for blockchain funding in the second quarter at $363m, while India ranked second after attracting $180.8m, CB Insights said.
Early-stage deals continued to dominate from April to June, accounting for 81 per cent of all blockchain funding. The average deal size in 2022 was $19m.
“Web3 accounted for over half of blockchain funding for the second straight quarter, reaching $3.7bn,” CB Insights said.
“Global funding to Web3 start-ups in 2022 already matches 2021’s total at $10bn.”
Despite a quarterly decline in deals in the NFT, gaming and metaverse category, it still attracted more than 150 deals worth $1.9m for the third consecutive quarter, the report said.
“However, the category’s future may face a tougher road ahead. NFT sales volumes are down, and Web3 metaverses face fierce competition from big tech companies,” CB Insights said.
Meanwhile, the infrastructure and development category recorded 52 per cent growth in the number of deals. The category was one of the only blockchain spaces with deal growth in the second quarter, reaching a new quarterly high of 47 deals, CB Insights said.
The blockchain industry also recorded 49 merger and acquisition exits in the second quarter, while the number of initial public offerings and special purpose acquisition company deals in the space slowed.
As several prominent cryptocurrency lenders filed for bankruptcy, cryptocurrency exchanges such as Binance and FTX sought to acquire others hurt by the “crypto winter” at a discount, CB Insights said.
Animoca Brands was the most active blockchain investor for the third straight quarter, despite a fall in its deals from April to June, the report added.
Blockchain funding from $100m-plus mega-rounds declined to $2.6bn in the second quarter. The number of mega-rounds was also down quarter on quarter, suggesting that investors were more cautious due to the recent price volatility, the study said.
There was also a 50 per cent drop in the “birth” of new blockchain unicorns, the research found.
Blockchain unicorn births dropped from a record high of 16 in the previous quarter to eight in the second quarter. The most valuable unicorn birth was Seychelles-based cryptocurrency exchange KuCoin with a $10bn valuation, while half of the new unicorns were Web3 start-ups, CB Insights said.
The US accounted for 65 per cent of total unicorns, with 46, while five were created in the second quarter. However, US unicorn births also plummeted 64 per cent during the same period, the report said.


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October’s Freight Transportation Services Index increased 0.2 percent from its September level, rising for the second consecutive month, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics said Dec. 8.
BTS reported the Freight TSI has risen 5.7 percent over the last 17 months, after declining 15.3 percent in the previous 10 months. The index has increased in 13 of the past 17 months. Through the first 10 months of 2010, however, the index declined 0.7 percent.
The Freight TSI measures month-to-month changes in freight shipments in ton-miles, which are then combined into one index. The index measures the output of the for-hire freight transportation industry and consists of data from for-hire trucking, rail, inland waterways, pipelines and air freight.
The October Freight TSI of 98.9 is a 5.7 percent increase from the recent low of 93.5 in May 2009. The October Freight TSI is down 12.4 percent from its peak of 112.9 in May 2006.


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Thursday 13th December 2012
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New Zealand food prices fell for the third straight month in November, driven by seasonally low prices for vegetables such as tomatoes, broccoli and lettuce. Meat prices also fell.
The food price index fell 0.8 percent last month, for an annual decline of 0.6 percent, according to Statistics New Zealand. Prices of vegetables dropped 11 percent while fruit rose by 5.4 percent on seasonal increases for apples, nectarines and potatoes.
Prices of fruit and vegetables are up 7.9 percent in the year, as kumara surged 98 percent to the highest level since the survey began in 1999. Avocadoes were up 92 percent, pumpkin gained 108 percent, while apples rose by about a fifth in the year and tomatoes gained 14 percent.
Grocery prices fell 0.2 percent in the month for a 3.6 percent annual decline. In the year, the price of fresh milk fell 9.6 percent, butter declined 26 percent and cheddar cheese fell 12 percent. The price of fresh milk was at its lowest since December 2009 and is 9.7 percent below its February 2011 peak.
Meat, poultry and fish prices fell 1.6 percent in the month, led by an 11 percent drop for chicken pieces and a 6.6 percent decline for lamb. Non-alcoholic beverage prices rose 0.4 percent and restaurant and ready-to-eat food rose 0.3 percent.
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Technopark bags national award for best technology incubatorMay 13th, 2008 - 7:55 pm ICT by admin
Thiruvananthapuram, May 13 (IANS) The Technology Business Incubator (TBI) at Technopark here has bagged the prestigious national award for the best technology business incubator in the country for 2007. Technopark Tuesday said the award, instituted by the department of science and technology of the central government, was for encouraging and recognising the business incubation activity, which plays a key role in promoting the entrepreneurial culture in the country.
Former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam presented the award at a ceremony held in New Delhi Sunday last as part of the Technology Day 2008 celebrations.
Technology business incubation aims to identify potential entrepreneurs with innovative ideas and nurture them through different phases of growth until the business takes off to a maturity level where it becomes a financially sustainable venture.
“Technopark, through the technology business incubation initiatives, is creating an ecosystem and a fertile ground that promotes the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship. We have incubated more than 70 start up technology companies in our incubation facilities in the past four years with a success rate of over 90 percent,” said Technopark CEO Radhakrishnan Nair.
- Technopark TBI empanelled as partner by TISS - Jan 17, 2012
- ISBA secretariat at Technopark-TBI - Sep 11, 2012
- Technopark TBI to get seed funding from union ministry - Jan 31, 2011
- Kerala gets first product testing and certification centre - Aug 20, 2012
- India's first telecom business incubator in Kerala - Oct 27, 2011
- Three Kerala IT firms win Nasscom honours - Oct 10, 2011
- Kerala: Industry majors to support IT product start-ups village - Jul 23, 2012
- Smart solar inverter launched in Kerala - Aug 25, 2012
- India's first Startup Village at Kochi - Jan 18, 2012
- JGI Ventures to groom entrepreneurs with Rs.500 crore fund - Apr 06, 2011
- Japan's Ylem Infotech starts Indian operations - May 31, 2011
- Kochi-based firm launches intelligent water control system - May 03, 2011
- Expanding circle of influence: Importance of mentoring in the business world (Comment) - Aug 12, 2012
- Microwave oven-Maid launched - Jun 25, 2012
- BlackBerry makers to set up innovation zone in Kochi - May 30, 2012
Tags: abdul kalam, best technology, business incubation, central government, department of science and technology, fertile ground, former president, incubation facilities, innovation and entrepreneurship, innovative ideas, key role, maturity level, nair, prestigious national award, radhakrishnan, tbi, technology business incubator, technology day, technology incubator, thiruvananthapuram


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DETROIT — TheCarConnection.com marks its 10th anniversary this week with the launch of a complete site redesign and a new alliance with J.D. Power and Associates. J.D. Power is providing TheCarConnection.com with significant new content designed to enhance the car and truck purchase process, according to executives.
As part of their new alliance, J.D. Power is providing TheCarConnection.com with an array of information designed to inform, guide and protect auto shoppers. Visitors to the site will get immediate access to J.D. Power's benchmark quality and reliability ratings, which are based on J.D. Power's independent studies, executives noted.
Readers also will be given the tools to "build" a virtual car, and compare product prices and features. Even more features will be rolled out over the course of the coming year as J.D. Power and TheCarConnection.com expand their relationship.
TheCarConnection.com's expanded shopping center also provides access to the latest vehicle prices, along with buying, selling and maintenance tips, and access to affordable automotive loans, executives explained.
Along with the expanded consumer shopping center, TheCarConnection.com's redesign introduces a new podcast feature, expanded RSS feeds and enhanced news coverage. Including an updated version of TheCarConnection's daily automotive news service, Daily Edition.


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Stein Mart Files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
On August 12, 2020, Stein Mart declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The discount retailer is one of many large companies to seek the protections of Chapter 11 since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. The company’s future is uncertain and employees are preparing for the end of business.
What Led to Stein Mart’s Demise
Stein Mart has been in business since 1908. It has since grown to 280 locations across 30 states. The company will continue to operate for the foreseeable future, but will likely hold a going out of business sale starting the weekend after the bankruptcy was filed. Unless the company finds a buyer, CEO Hunt Hawkins predicts that the chain will be fully closed by October.
Stein Mart was already facing financial struggles before the start of the pandemic. Sales at the beginning of this year were $134 million, compared to $314 million for the same period the year prior. Then on March 18, 2020, Stein Mart closed all of its locations in accordance with COVID-19 social isolation guidelines. While locations have begun to reopen with restrictions, the damage has already been done. The company reported approximately $200 million in debts in May 2020. Stein Mart borrowed $10 million for a payroll protection loan under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Stein Mart has approximately 8,000 employees who have been furloughed for the past few months, and will need to start looking for new employment. Thankfully for these Stein Mart employees, the extra $600 weekly federal benefit provided by the CARES Act, which was originally set to expire on July 31, 2020, has been extended at a reduced rate of $400 per week until January 31, 2020.
Business owners considering Chapter 11 need to remember how expensive and complicated of a process it can be. Stein Mart has hired three separate firms for advice and guidance during the Chapter 11 process. Foley & Larder is Stein Mart’s restructuring counsel, Clear Thinking Group is its restructuring adviser, and PJ Solomon is its investment advisor. The company’s stock fell 35% upon filing.
Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, Explained
While it appears that Stein Mart will be shutting down for good through its bankruptcy filing, Chapter 11 doesn’t require that of a business that files. A company will typically choose Chapter 11 when it wants to remodel the business, because the other option, Chapter 7, requires the business to close and surrender all assets. Once a company files Chapter 11, its main creditors will form a committee that will have authority over major business decisions. The company will submit a plan to the committee on how it should restructure its debt and emerge from bankruptcy. If the committee doesn’t agree to the plan, they may submit their own.
Chapter 11 has become even more prevalent in this COVID-19 climate. It is a pandemic like no other in recent memory, Many people throughout Tucson, Arizona, and the United States are dealing with tough economic times. Seek assistance if you are struggling to make ends meet. There are a myriad of Tucson Debt Relief options available.
Other Popular Companies to Declare Bankruptcy During the Coronavirus Pandemic
So far, 2020 has seen a 26% increase in Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings. Some of these include:


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News from Orkney Islands Council
The café at Kirkwall Town Hall and Community Centre has switched to using eco-friendly packaging for the food and drinks it offers.
Single use plastics are no longer used at the St Magnus Café to wrap or package sandwiches, rolls, baguettes, salads and hot food – with sustainable alternatives used instead.
Takeaway cups and soup containers are now biodegradable, as are the takeaway knives, forks and spoons the café provides.
Peter Sherratt cafe manager said:
“We were inspired by the lead children have taken in working on projects to reduce the use of single use plastics.
“We wanted to play our own part and have been actively seeking ways to stop using conventional plastic packaging wherever possible.”
“We now use environmentally friendly packaging for the vast majority of the food and drinks we provide. The alternatives to plastic we’re using are derived from corn and other plant-based materials. Paper and card are from trees grown in sustainably managed forests and all the packaging we use can be composted – as can the takeaway knives, forks and spoons.”
The café is contributing to one of the top priorities within OIC’s Council Plan 2018-23 for improving the quality of life in Orkney – ‘eliminate single use/ disposable plastic items within the Council where possible, and support others to do likewise’.